Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr
by SweetcharisMia
Summary: In the midst of all this, I wondered if I could seduce the seducer. A bookworm seducing the player. This would be against the law of all forms of clichéd-ness, but that was just what I wanted right now, at this very moment.
1. Damnation

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 1: "_Damnation_"-

What on _earth_ have I gotten myself into?

Dancing.

Sluts.

Alcohol.

Jocks.

Great, pretty much _everything_ I hate in one package. I _swear_ I'm going to throw up any minute now.

Turning my head to my right, I furrowed my brows at the person who dragged me into this mess—the one and only Ice Queen, Hotaru Imai. _Pfft_. And I called her my best friend. I mean, I _told_ her I didn't want to come. But did she listen? _No_. I told her that this was a bad idea. But did it matter? _Of course not_. Hotaru always, and I emphasize, she _always_ gets her way.

Woe is me. Woe is _moi_.

I closed my eyes miserably as I bit back a groan, my mind coming up with a thousand ways on how I'm gonna get myself out of this helluvah place and away from those hormonal teenagers. How did they manage to get their hands on those liquors anyway? I mean, we're only sixteen. Isn't it illegal to sell this stuff to minors?

"—vited too, dummy."

"I'm sorry, Hotaru. What did you say?" I shouted, hands covering my already-desensitized ears. The music was just _too_ loud. God, I'm having a hard time hearing my own thoughts. Someone _please_ turn the volume down!

Ignoring my obvious agony, Hotaru pointed a finger over a boisterous group who seemed to be having a drinking contest. It took me a moment but my jaw dropped when I registered that it was my senior, Tsubasa Andou and his girlfriend, Misaki Harada who were chugging down the beer. The infamous lady-killer Akira Tonouchi was with them as well, enjoying the company of a handful of females which I recognized as the Alice cheerleading squad.

Hold on, why are the upperclassmen here? They weren't invited to the party. . .were they?

"It's an open party, remem—? Everyone was invited. (I snorted at that, _yeah right._) So, it doesn't mat — - — re a freshman or a senior. A numbe — alumni and teachers have atten- — - —case you still haven't noticed." Hotaru explained. True enough, I spotted our teacher, Mr. Narumi L. Anjo, cheering for the Alice alumnus Reo "_Miracle Voice_" Mouri as the latter perform on stage. And yes, normally, I would've squealed and rushed to get his autograph, being a fan of his and all. However, hearing my idol—make that _ex_-idol—spew some crap about composing the next song for the debutante and seeing that the aforementioned girl was clinging to his arm, I decided not to.

"Don't be difficult, Mikan."

"I am not being difficult, Hotaru. _You are_." I countered, slightly annoyed at her remark. (I wonder if she heard it though) "...It's obvious that we don't belong here."

For the nth time this evening, I sighed. Luna Koizumi _and_ her birthday bash. It has always been ostentatious but this year's was undoubtedly the most flamboyant party of them all. Why, you ask? Simple, it's her much awaited _Sweet 16_ debut or so I've heard. Preparations for this _highly anticipated_ event started almost a month prior to this day, and Luna's endless rant about "_finally turning to a lady_" started—if I'm not mistaken—a few months after her 15th birthday. Pfft! No one even bothered to point out that debuts were supposed to be celebrated at your 18th year. The perks of _the_ Queen Bee. I really can't stand her.

"Hotaru, I _really_ think this is _not_ a good idea. We should ju—"

My hands instinctively flew up to cover my ears. I couldn't help but grunt. "What the hell was _that_?"

"Feedback." Hotaru muttered, which I surprisingly heard. It took me a few seconds to realize that the music was turned down. _Finally_, some peace and quiet.

I was just about to smile when another _ear_-_splitting_ feedback blasted from the loudspeakers. This time even Hotaru grunted. I laughed at her reaction and then mouthed a "_Let's get outta here_" which she purposely ignored. Well, I wasn't really expecting her to give in that easily but it was worth to try. Besides, it was fun to see Hotaru getting pissed over the sound system. I swear if looks could kill, the idiot who was holding that _cursed_ microphone would be dead by now.

"Sorry about that everyone." I frowned at the sound of the all-too-familiar voice. Oh, how I _wished_ looks could kill. "Anyway, hope you're having tons of fun. 'Coz I definitely am. I wanna thank my daddy for throwing this fantabulous debut for me and—" Oh boy, here we go again. Go on, Luna. Brag about how much mommy and daddy spent for the party or how difficult it was to get that designer dress you're wearing especially since it was being auctioned for God-knows-how-much in Europe.

Straying from the main topic here, I—as you might have already noticed—am _not_ a big fan of parties. For me, they were just another name for live porn shows. Hmm, maybe that's why I hadn't been to any parties for the past fifteen years of my life. Sad? Well, I certainly don't think so. Books are definitely a more preferred form of entertainment in my opinion. Besides, the Queen Bitch would _surely_ disapprove if I came to any of her parties. I would look _ugly _and_ out of place_ as she had discreetly told me not so long ago. She personally warned me not to go her _Sweet 16_ birthday bash because "my presence" would ruin the _fun party atmosphere_. Oh, did I mention that she said that with a sickly sweet smile plastered on her pretty face?

"_We wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself in the party, now do we?"_

I could still remember how she looked at me when she said that. It was as if she was daring me to say otherwise. But being the nice girl that I was, I merely told her that I've got other things to do so there's no way I would be able to attend her party, even _if_ I wanted to. And guess what! Just minutes after our conversation, she announced that she would be having her _open_ party at the Koizumi Penthouse. So, basically, everyone who's anyone was invited.

"_I feel sorry for Sakura. I __**really**__ want her to come. I really do. But she said she has important matters to attend to. It's a shame that she __**won't**__ be able to make it."_

This, I overheard when my good friends, Nonoko Ogasawara and Anna Umenomiya asked why I wasn't given any invitation. Not that I mind. Even though I lied about having something important to do—when in reality, I was planning on sleeping this night away—I didn't have the slightest urge to gatecrash to her stinking party.

Well, that's until Hotaru showed up.

My best friend, as you might've noticed, wasn't as kind as I was. And she definitely didn't take this lightly. When I told her that it wasn't a big deal, Hotaru coldly answered, "_She insulted you, dummy. She __**had been**__ insulting you from the __**very**__ first day we met her. Don't you think it's about time for some payback?"_

Hotaru initially planned on sabotaging Luna's _Sweet 16_ birthday bash. And believe me, what Hotaru had in store was _inhumane_. The mere thought of it was enough to send shivers down my spine. Luna should probably thank me from saving her from sheer humiliation. You see, I was the one who talked my best friend out of the whole revenge scheme. Of course, Hotaru insisted on blackmailing the Queen Bitch at the very least, but as much as I want to see Luna suffer, I just can't allow my best friend to do that. I don't want to step down to _her_ level. Let karma do its bidding.

Unfortunately for me, Hotaru was still determined to proceed with the plan with or without my support. And somehow, amidst all the explaining and convincing that I did, I mindlessly blurted out something stupid like "_I'll do anything you want, Hotaru. Just leave Luna alone. She's not worth it._" Hmm, now that I think about it, the last part wasn't so stupid after all.

So here's the catch. Hotaru and I settled on a deal. In exchange of _not_ blackmailing the Queen Bee, she asked me to attend the party. Well, in my case, gatecrash. Technically, I'm not invited, remember? Honestly, I don't get the point of going through all this trouble but Hotaru is Hotaru and there's no use arguing with her. So basically, this was how I got myself stuck wearing a disguise—a black wig and violet contacts. I couldn't exactly walk in as Mikan Sakura so. . .yeah, Hotaru practically fooled the receptionist into thinking that I was her long lost cousin. That also explains why we were currently hiding backstage instead of dancing around and being molested like those cheerleaders residing in a group not far away. Oh wait, that doesn't really explain it, now does it? So, why were hiding backstage? Well, aside from my "I'll-attend-but-I-won't-participate-in-this-party" reason, Hotaru has her "I'm-gonna-make-tons-of-cash-from-Reo's-pictures" motive. Typical.

"Get ready." I heard Hotaru mutter, snapping me out of my thoughts. The Queen Bitch was still on stage, blabbering about stupid things which centered on her and her party. She _really_ loves the spotlight, doesn't she?

"—and so for the final event of my Sweet 16 debut. May I request everyone to look under their respective tables? See, the pink furry box? Cute, isn't it? Open it and you'll find a number of beatific masks to choose from." Luna paused for a moment, giving her guests some time to get their hands on the boxes. "Masquerade ball starts in thirty minutes. I'll be in the dressing room if ever you need me. Don't start the party without me, 'kay?"

Woah! Back up. Did I just hear _thirty minutes_? Luna will be in her dressing room for thirty minutes? Oh, this is great! I have thirty minutes to escape from Hotaru and leave this wretched place while everyone is busy preparing for that masked ball. Maybe I should just make a run for it. The elevator is not too far from here anyway. Okay, Mikan! You can do this. On the count of three—

_1_. . .

_2_. . .

_3_. . .

"You're not going anywhere."

Hotaru's cold voice scared the living soul out of me. I almost tripped. And before I could even say a word, a bulky leather bag was shoved at my chest. What the heck is inside this bag anyway? It's _so_ heavy!

"Get dressed."

"But I'm already—" I saw Hotaru frown and the next thing I knew, my black wig was gone. My eyes widened when I felt brown locks fall over my shoulders. To say that I was shocked was an understatement. Did she just blow my cover?

"Don't make me repeat myself." Hotaru muttered, violet eyes fixated on me.

I gulped, trying my best not to be intimidated and failing miserably. "C-Can you at l-least tell me w-what you're p-planning?"

"You have 20 minutes left."

. . .

. . .

. . .

"No." It was embarrassingly obvious now. "NO! I will _not_ be part of that blasted masquerade ball!"

"And when did I ever listen to your childish wants and whims?" Hotaru asked, her lips curved up by a fraction of a centimeter. She then took out her phone, flipped it open and punched in a bunch of numbers.

I frowned. "Who are you calling?"

She ignored me. "Hello, Luna."

_What the—she called the Queen Bitch? _

"Hotaru, what are you—"

"Happy birthday. I hope I'm not disturbing you." Hotaru's tone was very accommodating but I knew her well enough to catch the soft edge of hostility. She hated Luna just as much as I did; but while I opted to steer away from people I disliked, Hotaru believed in keeping her enemies close.

"—Well, I think you might be interested in what I have to say." Hotaru paused and looked at me. "It seems like Mikan made it your party after all." And just like that, she snapped the phone shut.

"You-!" My face and neck flushed crimson with anger. "Are you out of your mind? Why did you tell her?"

"15 minutes, Mikan."

Indeed, what on _earth_ have I gotten myself into?

Someone _please_ kill me now.

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

Personally, I think the title, "Seducing the Seducer", gives away the whole plot. I'm pretty sure you know who will be seducing and who will be seduced, right? Haha. I'm actually worried about the rating of this fic. Though there won't be any lemons or limes here, scenes would undeniably be sensual and suggestive. Just tell me if I should change the rating to M, okay?

Updates will be done as soon as possible. That being said, review, review, review~! Especially YOU, new reader, REVIEW!

* * *

Next on **Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**:

"_Transformation_"


	2. Transformation

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 2: "_Transformation_"-

"Hotaru," My voice was quivering from angst, "I can't do this. Grandpa will surely go _ballistic_ if he finds out that I'm not in my room. I don't want to be grounded!" Already, I could feel the rage-induced tears starting to fill my eyes. "I can't do _this_." I said through gritted teeth, "You _can't_ do this to _me_."

"...Mikan, did you just _growl_ at me?"

"Why shouldn't I? You know how much I _hate_ parties. You know how much Luna _hates_ me. Yet, here you are, practically _forcing_ me to do _something_ which I _obviously_ don't want to do! And to top that off, you—my _back-stabbing_ best friend—told Luna that I'm here. She can't _possibly_ miss me even if I'm all masked up!"

"Don't be such a wimp, there are tons of people around. She'll never recognize you if you aren't catching too much attention." Hotaru replied, seemingly unaffected that I was crying. "Besides, Luna is just plain stupid so there's nothing to worry about."

"Point taken." I sniffed, wiping my tears away. This girl really knows how to get on my good side. "Knowing the Queen, she probably _summoned_ her Royal Knights to search for me." I joked. Luna shouting at her posh friends and bossing them around? Typical scenario. That's another perk of being the Queen Bee. "I. Am. _So_. Doomed."

"Too bad, it's too late to back out now..." Hotaru muttered as she zipped up my gown. I am curious as to where she got this dress—it's a _Valentino_, for goodness sake—but whenever I asked, silence was all I got. I just hope this wasn't from blackmail.

"...there, all done." she said after placing a mask on my face. "Go fix your hair."

Begrudgingly, I went out of the cubicle and headed for the bathroom mirror, only to be stunned by a masked brunette in a vivid scarlet dress. Simply put, she was _beautiful_. I was never fond of dresses but the way she wore hers made me want to try one on. Perhaps a more conservative dress for me though; hers was a bit too short and revealing for my liking. But then again, I guess she'd hear no complaints from the opposite sex. With the way the dress hugged her every curve, its plunging neckline, and the teasing length of mid-thigh that exposed those long legs, I have no doubt that guys will be chasing after her. Well, I could tell that she was a natural stunner, despite the fact that half of her face was concealed by a bejeweled white mask. I had opted something like that myself but Hotaru was the one who prepared everything for me so I really couldn't protest.

_Now, if only I could find that mirror. . ._

"What are you doing?" I heard Hotaru ask as she closed the cubicle behind her. She was now clad in an elegant violet cocktail dress which bared both her shoulders and her flawless snowy white legs. Her eyes were concealed by a mask similar to the brunette's, only it was adorned with amethysts.

"I'm looking for the mirror."

Huh, did I say something funny? Hotaru seemed to be amused.

"Why don't you _try_ turning around?" Hotaru suggested, her lips pressed together in a thin line as if she's trying not to laugh or something. "_Dummy_."

Huh? Oh well, whatever. I turned around and nearly tripped over my own legs in the process—all thanks to this cursed pair of high heels, which were at least three inches higher then my normal Converses. How am I supposed to walk with this _feet-killing_ footwear anyway? Better yet, how the hell do other girls manage to walk with these wretched high heels?

Finally able to steady my balance, I lifted my head and found myself standing in front of the brunette again. She seemed flustered over something though. I smiled at her and to my surprise, she smiled back. Hmm, I guess Luna's friends were not so bad after all. I was about to ask her name when I noticed a familiar figure standing behind her. "Hotaru?" I peered over my shoulder, confused. My best friend was behind me so who's that girl beside the brunette?

"It's called a _reflection_, dummy." Hotaru drawled out.

_A reflection? But, but that brunette can't be me. . .can it?_

"That's me?" Not a question. I'm not _that_ stupid, you know. It's just. . .well, it never occurred to me that I could ever be _that_ _girl_. Yes, that may be the reason why I failed to recognize my own reflection. The gown was a bit too tight and it slung impeccably to the curves I honestly thought I didn't have. I was shocked. I just couldn't believe it. It never occurred to me that I could look. . ._sexy_ out of my usual shirts and pigtails. I looked almost. . ._feminine_ and even a bit sluttish

"How long do you intend to gawk at the mirror?" I felt Hotaru link her arm into mine and soon enough, we were sauntering out of the restroom.

"I look. . ._different_." I mumbled, hoping my best friend wouldn't hear. "We look different."

"Well, we're supposed to look like _them_—" she pointed at a few girls standing nearby, who was currently flashing a clear view of their cleavage to a group of males, "—to fit in. That's the main objective of the plan."

"_Plan_? What plan? I thought we agreed that w—"

"Just enjoy the party." she cut in, "I'll get us some drinks."

"What? No! Don't—" Before I knew it, Hotaru was gone. "—leave me."

I sighed.

Okay, now what?

* * *

Why Luna decided to have a masquerade ball, I would never understand. She was never one to blend in so achieving anonymity was out of the question; and if anonymity among guests was her goal then, she was failing big time. Half of them didn't bother putting on a mask in the first place and those who did were slowly shedding theirs. Formality wasn't the reason either. Just an hour into the "masquerade" ball, most guys had already loosened up their ties and unbuckled their collars. The girls also seemed to be wearing less and less.

I shook my head in dismay. This is exactly why I hate parties. I bet some were already out having the time of their lives in the cars parked outside the party ground. _Ugh_. Why am I here again?

"Come on, dummy. Drink." Hotaru coaxed, pouring another round of tequila (_yup, I think that's what it's called_) in my glass. How many glasses have I drunk again? Four? _More_? Fourteen? Damn, I lost count.

"Hotaru. I don't wanna driink no mooore." I slurred, pushing the glass away. "Let's go home, mm'kay?"

"No. They haven't served the crabs yet."

"I'll just buy you a dozen of crab brains tomorrow. I really want to go home. What do you say?"

_Please say yes. Please say yes. _

"Nice try, Mikan, but I'm not falling for that." she shoved the tequila bottle right into my hands, "Drink."

I sighed and seeing that she wouldn't take "no" for an answer, I swigged it down to the very last drop. "Happy now?" I asked, slightly annoyed, mostly feeling faint.

"_Ecstatic_." Hotaru replied. I couldn't suppress a groan when she opened another bottle of liquor. "Whiskey?"

"Uh, I'll pass." I muttered, crinkling my nose at the smell of a newly-opened bottle of alcohol. "I think I'll freshen up for a bit first. Stay sober?"

Hotaru quirked up an incredulous brow.

"Oh, right...I forgot. You don't get drunk."

* * *

Ignoring the moans and grunts emanating from majority of the cubicles, I went to the sink to gargle some water. My stomach lurched and. . .yeah, out goes everything I drank and ate. _Stupid tequila! _How many glasses did I drink again? Oh right, I lost count. Ugh, head hurts.

I washed my mouth thoroughly and willed myself not to puke anymore. It's a good thing this gown wasn't ruined by all that crap. I'm damn sure there would be hell to pay had I stained it. I'm also sure I'd never hear the end of it if I go out looking like this. "Seriously, Hotaru can be such a handful." I muttered as I dug into my pouch and fished out the makeup kit that she oh-so-conveniently prepared for me. But, uh, advanced warning, I'm not good with this stuff at all. Why waste time putting this on anyway? I find the whole thing unnecessary so I usually don't wear any. But, since I have to fit in...

Powder.

Blush-on.

—_Oops_. Again.

Powder.

Blush-on.

_and_...

Lipstick.

Well now, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Thanks to my mask, I didn't even have to worry about mascaras and eyeliners. Hotaru better be proud of my handiwork! I gave myself one last once-over, and satisfied with how I looked, I walked out of the restroom.

Outside, the music was deafening. The chats and laughs emitted from the horde of guests didn't help much on the volume either. I went back to our table, only to find an empty bottle of whiskey and two vacant chairs. _Where on earth did Hotaru go?_ I wasn't gone for too long, was I? Surely, she didn't get too impatient to dance with some jock, right?

Anxious, I walked passed the dance floor, my eyes darting and searching through the crowd for traces of my best friend. But instead of finding her, I noticed something _weird_. . .the entire group of males was looking my way! At first, I thought I was just imagining things but then, a couple of them actually approached me. Have I mentioned that I had not once caught the interest of such large numbers of the opposite sex for the past fifteen years of my life? Yes, I did receive compliments about my features but they were never enough to catch this much attention. I'm an average brunette. One who doesn't care about what she wears or how her hair looks like. One who had always preferred to stay under the radar... which was why I cannot understand the feeling of contentment that filled my heart as guys averted their gaze to look at me. Girls turned their heads as well; and those unmasked had their eyes were filled with—what I assume to be—admiration and jealousy. Confidence came over and before I knew it, I standing tall and beaming at those I passed. I guess it just occurred to me that I could do whatever and be whoever I want tonight. Nobody would recognize me and no one would remember.

Making sure my hips swayed as I sauntered, I continued my search for Hotaru. Some guys already asked me to dance with them, but of course, I declined. Finding Hotaru was top priority right now. I just can't stand the thought of _some guy_ taking advantage of my best friend. I won't let Hotaru get molested by some jock! I _definitely_ won't allow such a thing!

Clutching on my skirt, I quickened my pace. I won't be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to Hotaru.I have to find her as soon as possible. _Come on, come on._ I sighed, knowing full well that I can't go any faster even if I want to. I was sure to trip and go sprawling if I try. And being an amateur at heels-wearing as I was, it was to be expected that I would at least trip once throughout the masquerade. So yes, I did lose my balance and fall backward. Funny thing was, I didn't topple over my own feet. Someone _tripped_ me.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact. Falling shouldn't scare me so much. I knew this was going to happen anyway. I was expecting it. But knowing and experiencing were entirely different things. And right now, I'm _dead_ _scared_ of falling. _Won't someone catch me?_

I waited.

And waited.

But the impact _never_ came.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes. A pair of arms was holding me closely, and I found myself leaning against a hard muscular chest. I looked up with a blush, and almost automatically, I muttered an apology for my clumsiness. A pair of crimson eyes gazed down at me, orbs twinkling with amusement and _something else_ I didn't quite understand.

Slowly, it dawned to me.

_This guy. . .he got one of his hands on my chest!_

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

Cliffhanger much? Yeah. Don't worry you'll get to meet our favorite pervert in the next chapter. I know that you know who I'm talking about. Haha. Oh well. I'm off to writing the next chappies. Oh yeah, send your suggestions for the song, okay? I still haven't decided on what I would use. And to fuel it up, I'm dedicating the next chapter to the lucky reader who suggests the winning song! By that, I'm referring to the seductive song that I'll be using for Chapter 3. . .or 4. Kindly include the artist's name, okay?

Oh, I hope I'm doing justice to Mikan's character here. Just tell me if I'm going a bit overboard. I might be putting a lot of myself in her. Really, it's just that I pictured a 15-year-old Mikan to be like this. I'm really sorry for if she isn't so innocent and dense anymore. Forgive me for the language that she uses, too. I'm prone to getting carried away sometimes.

* * *

Next on **Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**:

"_Temptation"_


	3. Temptation

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

-Chapter 3: "_Temptation_"-

I suddenly found myself breathless as a shiver ran up and down my spine. This guy. . .he got his _filthy_ hand on _my chest_! The nerve of this pervert! I'd rather fall butt first on the floor than be molested by some jock pretending to save me from humiliation.

"Let go of me." I said through gritted teeth. He didn't seem to hear me though. Not with loud music blasting from the speakers. I bit my lip, trying to contain my anger. "I _said_ let g—"

"Can you stand?" I heard him ask, his voice smoothly clear yet deeply enticing. I could've sworn my heart skipped a beat when his warm breath tickled my ear.

I nodded, anger diffusing. "...I guess."

What the _hell_ was wrong with me? Ain't I supposed to kick this pervert's ass? He took advantage of me, for goodness sake! And yet here I am, blushing like some crazy idiot. It's almost as if I enjoyed being molested by this jerk. Ugh. _Pull yourself together, Mikan!_ You're supposed to be angry. _Furious_.

...Well, I _was_ angry, wasn't I? Yeah, until I heard him speak, that is.

What's with this guy?

"No 'thank you's?"

—_Arrogance_, that's what.

"Thank you." Well, he _did_ save me, _right_?

I turned and almost immediately, I regretted facing him. My cheeks flushed and my heart sped up. His eyes were currently roving up and down my body. To put it bluntly, he was checking me out. If this was any other occasion, I would have flipped a finger at him before slapping his face off repeatedly. Unfortunately, this _wasn't_ like any other occasion. This was _Luna's_ party—her so-called Sweet 16 debut—and making a scene is definitely _not_ of the brightest ideas. I certainly don't want to be caught gate-crashing in her party, now do I?

I felt my lips curve up to a smile. He was checking me out, right? So it's only fair that I check him out, too.

_Let's see. . ._

He was wearing a pair of combat boots with loosely tied laces... His dark baggy denim bulged just below the knee where the height of his boots ended... A thick leather belt secured his pants from falling off his slender hips... He was clad in a deep scarlet shirt—coincidentally, having the exact same shade as my gown—underneath his unbuttoned black blazer... _And_ he had a virginal red rose clipped to the lapel. _Nice_.

"I see that you are a new face here." he spoke, his eyes still on me, "Need someone to show you around?"

Oh, how I _loved_ the masquerade ball.

"Well, technically, you haven't really seen my face," I answered, pointing at my mask for emphasis. "So, how would you know that I'm new?"

"It's hard not to remember everyone when you've spent the entire night with more than several chicks around here." he replied suggestively. I tried my hardest not to grimace. "But, I have never seen such a stunning beauty like yourself."

I couldn't stop a smile from breaking out on my face. What a sweet-talker. I would be a hypocrite if I say that I wasn't flattered by that. I had never been approached by a player before and now that I had one standing before me, well. . .I guess I'll just let him work his charms.

"The name's Natsume," he continued, a smirk still plastered on his face, "Care to enlighten me with yours?"

Hold on. . .Natsume? Did he just say _Natsume_? As in Natsume Hyuuga?

My eyes widened in disbelief. This guy is _the _Natsume Hyuuga? Oh, I _know_ him, alright. He was my partner during our elementary days. Alice Academy enforces this "buddy system" on new students, and it just so happens that at the time of my transfer, this jerk was the only one available. I was totally against this—having a male partner, that is—but Mr. Narumi insisted on it. I had no choice but to comply.

_Hyuuga_. . .

I'm really not sure what _his_ problem was. But back then, Hyuuga was everything but nice to me. He flipped my skirt on the _very_ first day we met, called me by those ridiculous nicknames like "_Polka dots_" and "_Strawberry_", pulled my pigtails whenever he got the chance, and so much more. Trust me when I say that we were—and still are—_not_ in good terms. I _did_ try to befriend him, I really did. But whenever I got too close to him, he always does something perverted or says something to insult me. He even _forced_ a kiss on me when we were ten! He stole my first kiss, damn it. _My first kiss_!

That was the last straw. That's when I stopped talking to him. We're still partners but I just. . .didn't care anymore. That's why I was _really_ happy that we had different sections in middle school. It made avoiding him a lot easier. Hmm, what else can I say? Hyuuga's still pretty popular. From what I gather, he has three official fans club to date. And yeah, the guy's a freakin' genius. Smart enough to get straight A's even if he ditched class. Oh, let's not forget that he is a downright player. Every day during lunch, I would see him with a different airhead hanging off his arm. There were also several instances that I spotted him making out with some random chick under _that_ cherry blossom tree which was _irritatingly_ planted in front of the window beside my chair. Ugh. The mere sight of him makes me wanna gag.

By now, I should've just turned and ignored him. But something inside me wanted to stay—told me that I _should_ stay. I, Sakura Mikan—the _ultimate_ scholarship student—had attracted the attention of _the_ Natsume Hyuuga—the top guy on both Luna's and Permy's "_Hot list_". And the best part was. . .he didn't even recognize that it's me. _His partner_. Now, how cool is that?

"Your name?"

"I don't see the need of it." I drawled, leaning against the wall behind me. "You would probably have forgotten me by tomorrow."

"Oh," he casually placed his hand on the wall, just beside my head. "Now, I definitely won't."

"I don't know," I muttered, pouting my lips. I looked at him with mock innocence. "My parents told me that I shouldn't talk to strangers."

Hyuuga's smirk widened, "Trust me babe, we wouldn't be strangers after tonight."

"Well, I guess I'll have to remain anonymous until then," I lifted a shoulder flirtatiously, "That is, _if_ I choose to stay of course."

"Is that a challenge I hear you propose?"

I shrugged, "Maybe."

"Well then, I better get started on it." Natsume bowed before me, causing my heart to pound erratically against my chest. "Would the mysterious lady care to dance?" he asked, offering his hand.

_Dancing_? I gulped. Not _exactly_ my favorite activity, but still. . .

"Treat it as a form of gratitude for catching you fall."

It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?

Smiling slightly, I slipped my hand into his, "One dance."

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

Shorter than what I expected but I still liked it. Hope you share the same insight as mine. Anyway, noticed how much Mikan blabbered about Natsume. She knows much 'bout him, doesn't she? This chapter is fundamental for the story. Since this is slightly AU, I have to reestablish their relationship, right? As much as possible, I tried to stick with the foundations set by Higuchi Tachibana-sama. Hence, the partner system, the name-callings, and the perverted antics.

Oh, I know that most of you are expecting that Mikan would react violently against the whole "his-hand-is-on-my-chest" drama. Well, I think her explanation is good enough, right? Besides, screaming a bloody murder would blow her cover. And that's something that I wouldn't want to happen. . .for now. For the time being, let's just enjoy the farce until it last.

Hmm, before I forget. This chapter is dedicated to **Ah Hael** for great understanding. I quote:

"_I wouldn't worry about Mikan being OOC because she's not as dumb as she was when she was 10yrs old. NO ONE IS THE SAME AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE 10. That's actually always been a complaint of mine for GA fics. Sure Mikan is a typical sheltered country girl who was raised by an old man, so she matured slower than everyone else. But sooner or later everyone grows up. Even Mikan. Why people think it's funny to have a 16yr old with the brain of a 5yr old is beyond me. She'd be a sexual assault victim waiting to happen."_

...It was nice to know that someone shares the same idea as mine. :)

More things are bound to happen in the next chapters. And I'm just as excited as you are. You see, unlike my previous work, this story has no concrete plot. I just write whatever it is that comes to my mind. Haha. Oh yeah, heed my **warning**, dear readers. This story is **not** suitable for readers **ages 13 and below.** Scenes and contents from here on will be **extremely** **sexual** and **suggestive**. The next chapter would undoubtedly be more **daring** and **flirtatious **than before. After all, this is **Seducing the Seducer**. If you want your innocence to be spared, I suggest that you stop reading this fic. But if you're up for it, then sit tight coz you're in for a lot of **teenage drama** and **love-lust romance**. Your choice.

P.S. I forgot to put a disclaimer on the previous chapters. Sorry about that. Well, here it goes:

"**I do NOT own Gakuen Alice. All rights reserved to the great mangaka, Higuchi Tachibana."**

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Next on **Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**:

"_Seduction"_


	4. Seduction

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 4: "_Seduction_"-

Bright lights shone on my face and next thing I knew, I was staring at what seemed to be the center of a very crowded dance floor. The current song was about to end and the DJ started merging a new beat. Hmm, looks like he decided to play a Nelly Furtado song. What's the title again?

Oh right. It's "**Promiscuous**". How fitting.

**How ya doing young lady  
The feeling that you gave me really drives me crazy  
You don't have a player on your trunk  
I was at a loss of words  
First time that we spoke**

Hyuuga shot me a meaningful look after the monologue rap. I rolled my eyes in reply. He was still as arrogant as ever. And yet, I couldn't suppress the smile from creeping up my face.

After the count of two beats, I saw him swivel his right leg and move his body to the rhythm. Really, what was _I _thinking? I would just humiliate myself. Why did I _even_ agree to dance with him?

_One dance._ I sighed.

Just one.

After this, I'm off to search for Hotaru again.

_Just one dance, Mikan._

_Just this once._

_With Natsume._

**You expect me that I'll just let you hit it  
But will you still respect me if you get it?**

I sighed and started twisting my body into a subtle dance move. Was this okay? Was it _really_ okay? I bit my lip and dared myself to look up at my partner. He was dancing in a careless freestyle, his hand in one pocket. He looked really good, I had to admit. It was as if he _belonged_ to the dance floor and judging by _that_ smirk and the proud vibes he was sending, I'm pretty sure he knew of the fact as well. But hey, _that_ was to be expected. After all, Hyuuga hadn't been to a lot of parties for nothing.

_And I just...I couldn't help but feel a wee bit self-conscious now that I'm standing next to him._

Huh, what? Get a grip, Mikan! I have a _mask_ on, for goodness's sake. Nobody would recognize me. So why not enjoy and have some _real_ fun out here?

_One dance. _I smiled.

Just one.

For one night, I'll put everything behind. For one night—_just one night_—I want to be...free. Free of all the restrictions. Free of the principles that I, myself, have set.

After this, I'm back being to plain and simple Mikan.

**All I can do is try, give me one chance  
What's the problem? I don't see no ring on your hand  
I'll be the first to admit it, I'm curious about you, you seem so innocent**

_Just one dance, Mikan._

_Just this once._

_With Natsume._

Mind set, I shook my head slightly and allowed my hair to twirl into the beat. I drew one hand from my hips to the back of my head and placed the other on my neck. Closing my eyes, I listened to the music and let the rhythm overwhelm my heart. Soon enough, my hips and torso started swaying on their own. My hands slithered around my body in—what I _hoped_ to be—seductive dance moves. I'm not sure if I looked good, but I certainly felt the sensation of pleasure rushing into my limbs as they willed themselves to move.

"Now _this_ is what I'm talking about." Hyuuga's hot breath tickled my ear and my eyelids instantly shot up in surprise.

I frowned at our proximity. How the heck did he get _this_ close without me noticing?

And as if _that_ wasn't enough, he suddenly rested his hand on my hip and pulled me even closer.

**You wanna get in my world, get lost in it  
Boy I'm tired of running, lets walk for a minute**

I slid my hand downwards to the place right under my chest, in an attempt to suppress the butterflies fluttering wildly in my stomach. _Ugh. _Is it because of the tequila? I thought I already got alcohol out of my system.

_Damn_.

What the hell is wrong with me? For some freakin' reason, the _only_ thing that my brain could register was the sensation of having _his_ hand on my hip! My gown may be thick enough to neutralize his touch, but his warmth still penetrated through the darn fabric. It was almost painful—the way he set my insides on fire, yet, at the same time, numb. It didn't feel bad though, rather, it was almost..._exhilarating_. My skin practically shivered beneath his fingertips.

_Natsume. . ._

A tickling sensation of excitement ran up my spine as I felt his fingers crawl on the small of my back. To feel all these strange emotions I had always read about was..._overwhelming_. I could hardly contain my thrill.

_. . .Does he have any idea on what he was doing to me with just a single touch?_

Smiling flirtatiously at him, I slowly traced my fingers up his arm.

**Promiscuous girl  
Wherever you are  
I'm all alone  
And it's you that I want**

Hyuuga impulsively looked down at my face as my hands made their way upwards and wrapped around his neck. He smirked. Then, he withdrew his hand from his pocket and placed it on the other side of my hip. Damn. I couldn't help but get a little flustered in the heat. It was getting more and more unbearable now as I continued to flaunt my hips and legs in front of him. His hands stayed on my hips though. . .

Woah, wait a minute. What am _I_ feeling disappointed for? I should be thankful that his hand didn't travel any further down, _right_?

Oh, who am I kidding?

My heart is practically shouting in desperation to pull him closer, to feel his movements against mine, to feel the heat and yet. . .

**Promiscuous boy  
Let's get to the point  
Cause we're on a roll  
You ready?**

My heart hampered irrationally to the beat. I suppressed a small gasp when his hands trailed lower on my back. He was staring at me. Crimson eyes shining like rubies behind his leather mask. _Captivating_. His eyes were captivating.

_Natsume was captivating. . . _

Unable to resist, I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and pulled him closer. He smelled heavenly, a combination of intoxicating scents I just couldn't get enough of. Leaning my head on his shoulders, I let my body slant into his. The heat radiating from him was intolerable yet irresistible. His chest against mine, I closed my eyes, my whole body tingling with anticipation and eagerness.

I just crossed the moral line that I had abided by for all my life.

But right now, as music, rhythm and heat overwhelmed my mind. . .

I really couldn't care less.

**Hey! I can't keep my mind off you  
Where you at, do you mind if I come through**

I opened my eyes in time to catch his face up close, the space between us sizzling with desire. He looked at me with an unreadable expression and then, "You look familiar."

Immediately, my defenses went up.

"Really?" I felt the muscles on his shoulder tense as I toyed with his hair. "I thought you said I'm a new face around here."

Impulsively, he rested his chin on my head. His hands inched downwards on my hip and pulled me in closer. He was crossing the line I had set when we first met, but I knew that I can't blame him for that. Not when I'm teasing him like this. "Won't you tell me your name?"

I smiled. "Now, where's the fun in that?"

I can't tell him. Natsume _mustn't_ know.

Not now.

Not _ever_.

**I'm a big girl I can handle myself  
But if I get lonely I may need your help  
Pay attention to me I don't talk for my health**

I _knew_ I shouldn't be doing this. My mind was screaming for me to stop but my heart told me otherwise.

I wanted him to be all over me.

_I wanted to be all over him._

My insides twisted and turned, and my stomach clenched in desperateness.

_I want more_. . .

Brushing my lips against his cheek, I placed my palm on the side of his nape. Then with a swift twirl, I turned in a 180 degrees spin. My backside was now lying intimately close against his chest. His hands glided swiftly to my stomach and I leaned my head backwards on his shoulder.

I felt his chin tipped downwards on to my neck, his breath prickling my skin in the intense heat.

"**I want you on my team…**" he quoted from the lyrics in a low voice.

I giggled as the words of the song recoiled in my head, "**…so does everybody else.**"

**Baby we can keep it on the low  
Let your guard down ain't nobody gotta know  
If you with it girl I know a place we can go**

Natsume wrapped his arms tighter around my stomach, devastating the remaining sanity I had as we continued to dance. My skull pounced against my head and I suddenly felt dizzy under the loud volume of the stereo. The music ricocheted around the wall and vibrated throughout my body.

Now, I _definitely_ know what I want.

I _want_ this dance to last.

I _want_ to stay in his arms.

_I wanted_. . .

"Can we get to know each other more?" he whispered, his mouth almost kissing my ear.

"And _why_ do we want to do _that_ again?" I laughed.

"Don't play with me, babe."

I said nothing in response, instead I turned around and snaked my arms around his neck.

**Promiscuous boy  
You already know  
That I'm all yours**

I felt the tip of his nose press against my face and I let out a small smile as another pleasurable sensation shot through my spine.

**What you waiting for?**

In the midst of all this, I wondered if I could _seduce the seducer_. A bookworm _seducing_ the player. This would be against the law of all forms of clichéd-ness, but that was just what I wanted right now, at this very moment.

_More thrill, more excitement_.

I had never felt more freed and liberated in my entire life.

I was at the top, and _nothing_ could get in my way.

I cocked my head to one side as Natsume leaned his nose onto my nape. I could smell the perfume he was wearing. I could feel his hair tickling my face.

**Promiscuous girl  
You're teasing me  
You know what I want  
And I got what you need**

His lips pressed lightly against my neck and trailed a flutter of light butterfly kisses right down my bare shoulder. My skin tingled and I felt a few sparks ignited in my chest. I just couldn't help but close my eyes. His lips were softer and gentler than I had expected. It felt. . ._nice_.

**Don't be mad, don't get mean**

Hands around his neck, my front very exposed and Natsume was taking full advantage of it.

**Don't get mad, don't be mean**

It felt wrong and dirty, but my body reacted otherwise.

**Hey! Don't be mad, don't get mean. . .**

The words and lyrics of the music trailed off into a twirl of heat.

Letters merged into lust.

Rhythm morphed into desire.

And the beats of the song were no more than the beat of our hearts. . .

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

There, the end. Nah! I'm just fooling around. So, how'd you like the chapter? It was a bit tricky for me since I'm using Mikan's POV. It really gave me a hard time especially when Natsume's side starts popping up in my head. I was like "Oh no, that's not right. Come on, Mia. Think of Mikan's reaction. Put yourself in Mikan's place". Yeah, I pretty much meditated on how this chapter is going to flow. So right now, I apologize if this chapter is not as "personal" as the previous chapters. It's really difficult to describe a dance when you're restricted to one character's point of view.

BTW, I would like to thank my friend for letting me read a certain FictionPress entry that she made. As promised, **Bhezh**! I'm dedicating the chapter to you. Oh, I'm sorry about basing some part of this chapter on your work. Well, between the two of us, you have always been the expert on flirting with guys. Haha. Peace, BFF!

Oh, I almost forgot. I want to commend **fitha **for being so honest and giving me a piece of her mind. Thanks to you, I've realized the error of my setting. Yeah, so if everyone could just look back at the previous chappies, you'll notice the changes I made. Again, thanks to **fitha**, I realized that my story plot is too liberated to be set in Japan. So to clear things up, **Seducing a Seducer will be happening somewhere in USA. **Since western countries have more liberal culture, I figured the setting should be in one of them. About the cherry blossom tree, I've researched on that and it turns out that it is also cultivated in USA. Cool, huh?

Anyway, I do hope I did justice on this one. I would love to hear your comments. Long reviews will be very much appreciated. Haha, you know the drill.

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Next on **Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**:

"_Mystification"_


	5. Mystification

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 5: "_Mystification_"-

We must have lost track of time as the tune drawled to a gradual halt. The beat of the song still drummed in my ears but I felt our movements slowing to a stop. Both of us were breathing heavily from the dance. It was exhausting—no, _intense_ was probably the best word to describe it. I seriously thought I won't able to keep up with that kind of music.

I closed my eyes and sighed. Natsume still had his arms snaked around my waist; mine were still wrapped around his neck. Clinging to him was all I could do to stop myself from breaking down on the floor. Funny, but I couldn't seem to steady my footing and my heartbeat. It was just a dance and yet, this _one dance_ made me feel light-headed, weak-kneed, and hot-blooded all at the same time. There's that _other_ thing, too. Something that I, myself, do not understand.

...What's so _special_ about him anyway?

Whether it was the way we fought over the silliest things back in elementary or how dancing with him drove me over to the edge tonight, Natsume never failed to bring up this _stupid_ smile on my face. No matter what, he always seemed to make things more fun. More _exciting_. I sighed. Maybe I just _missed_ him. Yeah, that's probably the reason. I _must_ have missed him. Really, _really_ miss him. He was _my_ partner after all.

And I _did_ want to be his friend.

In fact, I _think_ I still do.

"I'm serious about what I said earlier." I heard him mutter. He said the words in such a low voice that it took me a few seconds to realize that he was talking to me. "...I want you on my team. I wa—"

I cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. "I'm not one of your girls, Hyuuga."

He shrugged. "Never said you were."

"Good." I muttered, letting my finger slide down his neck. "For a second there, I thought you're getting me mixed up with your current girlfriends." Heavy emphasis on the 'S'.

"You seem to know a lot about me." he said, arrogant and accusing. Was he suggesting that _I_ was one of his _deranged_ fan girls?

"Don't flatter yourself." I crossed my arms and turned my head to the side. "FYI, my world doesn't revolve around you anymore."

He smirked. "You do realize that you've just admitted that your world _did_ revolve around me, right?"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" I snapped, scowling to hide my embarrassment. I could only groan, mortified with the fact that I can't _say_ or _do_ anything to take those words back. Not that I meant them in the first place! Well, I _did_ mean them but _definitely_ NOT in the way that Hyuuga phrased it. _My_ world DOES NOT _and_ most definitely DID NOT revolve around him!

"No use denying it now." He sounded almost triumphant. "You like me and you know it."

"You're so full of yourself!" I exclaimed, hitting him across the chest. Me? Liking him? Dream on. That would never happen. Not in a million years. "I AM NOT—_smack!—_FALLING FOR—_smack!—_A PERVERT LIKE YOU—_smack!—_EVEN IF—_smack!—_YOU'RE THE—_smack!—_LAST GUY—_smack!—_ON EARTH!"

Natsume grabbed my wrists, stopping my assault. "You _really_ shouldn't have said that."

"Oh, don't worry. You won't be hearing another word from me." I said through gritted teeth, "Coz I'm done talking!"

"Too bad. I'm just getting started." He tightened his grip and began hauling me away the dance floor. I struggled, only to succeed at tripping over my four-inch heels. To make matters worse, a few bystanders started throwing curious glances at our direction. Crap, what if Luna sees me? I shuddered at the possibility of getting caught. I spun my head, silently praying that she wasn't anywhere near us. The masks really made it hard to tell if the Queen Bitch was there. I did spot a lot of blondes; fortunately, none of them wore the _grandiose_ cocktail dress that Luna boasted about earlier.

_Thank god._

I was just about to heave a sigh of relief when—BAM!—my back suddenly collided with something hard. Everything swirled around me and I blinked, my eyes adjusting in the dark. Hyuuga towered over me, hands planted on either side of my head, his body forming a human cage before me. I tried to scream but the sound got stuck in my throat and all that came out was a breathless squeak. _I was trapped_. Pinned against the wall by this pervert no less!

Natsume leaned forward, his eyes smoldering even in the dark. "I want to see your face."

Oh shoot.

"You're really stupid, aren't you?" I started, my tone stiff and uneasy. I was scared. The fact that he brought me somewhere secluded—not to mention, it was dark and he was so _so_ close—was frightening. My wrists were a bit numb (thanks to all that yanking earlier) but I still struggled to push him away. He didn't even budge. "I didn't give you my name, so what makes you think I'll show you my face?"

"Because, you like me."

Ugh. Stupid—_egotistical_—jerk!

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I resisted the urge to kick him where it hurts and settled for a glare.

Looking awfully amused at my expense, his lips broke into a boyish grin. "Yeah, you have no idea."

Everything suddenly went on slow motion as I found myself immobile under his penetrating gaze. I couldn't feel anything but his hands, couldn't see anything but his eyes, couldn't hear anything but the beating of my heart. Natsume smirked, a look of awareness passing his face, as he moved his hand to my cheek. I gulped. D-did he r-recognize me?

My body literally froze when Natsume tilted my head up and started leaning over. What is he doing? Is h-he going to k-kiss me? My eyes widened at the thought. A scene of two 10-year-olds kissing under a cherry blossom tree replayed across my mind. I blinked, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. I have to think of something, and fast! Come on, Mikan. You can do this. Don't just stand there and do something. Speak! Tell him to stop. Come on, say something. Anything!

"I'm thirsty." I blurted out, his face just inches from mine, our noses almost touching. I heard him chuckle and I mentally slapped myself for saying something so stupid.

"You want a drink?" he asked, his thumb gently tracing my trembling lips.

I nodded, too embarrassed to even utter a syllable.

I was expecting him to let go and lean away but he didn't. Instead, he held the small of my back and pressed his body against mine. I should've known that Hyuuga was far too stubborn to give up. I closed my eyes, knowing fully well that I can't do anything to avoid what was coming. Really, I never learn. Five years have passed yet my reaction remains the same. I still can't find the power to push him away.

To my surprise, he neither crashed his lips on mine nor tried to shove his tongue down my throat. He didn't force a kiss on me. He just rested his cheek against mine, his lips pressed softly on the corner of my mouth. My heart did a few somersaults when he suddenly touched the edge of my mask.

"Be right back." I heard him say, his lips brushing lightly against my face.

Then, he moved away.

My back still against the wall, I watched as Natsume turned and disappeared through the crowd. I let out a sigh, relieved that he finally left me alone. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. _The sooner I forget about him, the better._

I was still in the process of calming my heart when I heard a muffled sound. I simply ignored it. But then, as if mocking me, the noise grew insistent, creating a strange counterpoint to the otherwise loud party music. Not knowing what else to do, I covered my ears, only to realize that I was shaking. My body was shaking so hard, in fact, that the thought of having a seizure crossed my mind. My vision blurred, and I blinked, feeling something wet trickle down my cheek. I was. . .crying. And the strange sounds were sobs coming from my chest. I felt my knees buckle under me and I fell, burying my face in the palm of my hands.

_Oh god, what have I done?_

This was all going wrong. The masquerade ball wasn't _supposed_ to unfurl like this. The dance wasn't what I had expected at all. Damn.

I could still feel his warmth on my dress.

I could even smell his perfume on my hair.

_Damn_.

Why did I allow Hyuuga to take advantage of me?

Why did I even agree on dancing with him?

Why didn't I do anything to stop him?

_Why, why, why?_

I should've slapped him when he grabbed my chest.

I should've ignored him when he introduced himself.

I should've said "no" when he asked me to dance.

I should've just pushed him away.

But I didn't.

And now, I feel like a slut.

This was everything I had been up against in my entire life. But what had become of me now? I left the house without Grandpa's permission, gate-crashed in Luna's party, flaunted my body in a slutty red gown, got drunk and even flirted with the _one_ _person_ I've been avoiding at school. On top of that, I _completely_ forgot that I was searching for my best friend. God, I'm the worst.

That's it. I'm gonna find Hotaru right now and leave this masquerade ball for good.

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

I'm trying to speed things up; unfortunately, this is as far as this chapter can go. A lot of you are asking if this story would be revolving on Luna's party, right? The answer is a big fat "NO". Well, I'll admit that my original plot was set only in the masquerade ball but I changed my mind. This story has so much potential in it and ideas just keep on coming. It will be such a waste if I don't put them into writing. So basically, this '**Masquerade Ball**' would be the **first arc** of this story. I think I'll be able to wrap it all up in 10 chapters, so you can say that we're just halfway across Luna's birthday bash.

Again, same as before, long reviews will be very much appreciated.

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Next on **Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**:

"_Complication"_


	6. Complication

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 6: _"Complication" -_

"Hotaru. . ." I mumbled, leaning on the wall as I painstakingly continued to search for my best friend. "Where on earth did you go. . .?"

I was dead tired. Not to mention, a bit tipsy. My ears picked up some weird noise, and with a roll of nausea, I realized that it was me—_groaning_ and _cussing_ as the floor wavered beneath my feet. My vision blurred, and the next thing I knew. . ._I was falling_. My hands blindly fumbled for anything that could support me and miraculously, I was able to grab on _something_.

Crap, I was never good at dealing with alcohol. The stench alone was bad enough to make my head spin, but knowing that my breath reeked of the same smell was even worse. Ugh, it was disgusting.

I closed my eyes, willing the nausea away. I've heard that hangovers were a pain in the ass, but, wasn't it supposed to occur a bit later? Grandpa used to be a heavy drinker, and as far as I remember, his hangovers usually start once he woke up. Now that I think about it, I never really had to worry about that since Mom was the one who took care of Grandpa and his tantrums. (Well, that was _until_ she decided to fly over to Puerto Rico and work there. Heh.)

I wonder how Grandpa would react when he finds his granddaughter—who _constantly_ reprimands him for drinking—knocked out and stinking with alcohol. Moreover, how would _Mom_ react when she hears about my daring escapade?

"Here." My eyes instantly shot up in alarm. With my blurry vision, I could only make out a dark silhouette hovering before me. "Drink up." I heard him say, nudging—what I seemed to be—a wineglass gently against my fingers.

"No thanks. I've had enough of alcohol tonight." I groggily pulled myself upright, realizing I was seated on a sofa. _When did I get here?_ I held my head and rubbed my temple, deciding that now was not a good time to dwell on this matter. Already, I could feel another wave of nausea rushing through me.

"You better sit down, _mademoiselle_." A hand moved to my shoulder and firmly pushed me to sit. "And don't worry, it's just water."

"What happened. . .? I didn't faint. . .did I?" I whispered, mostly to myself. I reached for the water, but my hands kept shaking they couldn't even clasp the rounded contours of the glass. I heard the guy sigh from beside me. I could've sworn he muttered something and I was about 100% sure that it wasn't English.

". . .Let me help."

Before I could fully understand what he meant, the guy had already pressed his hands on mine, securing a steady grip as we brought the wineglass to my lips. The water tasted funny, probably another side effect of my _stupid_ hangover.

"Feeling better?" he asked, setting the empty wineglass on the tray of some waiter.

I nodded slowly, trying not to trigger the nausea again.

"You gave me a fright back there. . ." he muttered, his voice dripping with foreign accent ". . .suddenly clutching on my arm like that."

I did. . ._what_?

I caught a glimpse of his wrinkled sleeve and I immediately whipped my head away. "Sorry about that." I mumbled, fighting back the blush on my cheeks. "I swear I didn't mean to—"

"You don't have to explain yourself_._" he interrupted, successfully cutting me off, "It's not a big deal anyway."

"Well, you..." I threw a pointed glance at his direction, "You really saved me back there. And that's quite a big deal for me. So, for what it's worth, thank you."

He chuckled. "_Il n'y a pas de quoi._" (Don't mention it/You're welcome)

Oh, he's French?

I smiled. "Is there any way I could return the favor?"

"You don't have to."

"I _want_ to."

He sighed. "Okay then, would the _demoiselle_ grace me with her name?"

I nearly jumped from my seat.

Darn it. Of all the things he could've asked for, why _that_?

I have to get away from this guy. Fast.

"Uhm, I t-think my friend just c-called." I stammered, practically fidgeting under my mask. "I, uh, better go see what she wants."

He didn't say anything. But I could tell that he wasn't convinced. Well, I had always been a terrible liar. And I think it's fairly obvious that I was just evading his question.

"Catch you later, 'kay?" I didn't bother waiting any longer. I awkwardly got to my feet and rudely forced my way through the crowd. Frankly, I didn't know what I was doing or where I was going; I just kept walking, my limbs moving on their own accord. When I stopped, I found myself in the middle of the grand staircase, my hand resting on its banister (I have no idea when I started climbing or how I managed to climb halfway without tripping over). I was just about to turn and head downstairs when an idea popped into my mind.

_Searching for Hotaru might be easier if I'm on a higher ground. _

Mind set, I took a few more steps and finally reached the top. I smiled. Bird's-eye view definitely has its advantages.

Leaning against a nearby pillar, I let my eyes rove around the place. It was sort of amazing that Luna could pull off something like this. I mean, let's admit it, you need to be filthy rich and extremely popular to succeed in throwing a party—a masquerade ball, no less—that entails half a thousand of people. Inviting such number of guests was one thing but having enough resources to accommodate all of them was a completely different matter. As much as I hated to say this, her birthday was. . ._phenomenal_. Yes, the Koizumi family had long established their place on top of the social ladder. And tonight, their heiress just proved herself worthy of carrying their prestigious name.

Okay, enough stalling! I have to find my best friend and get the hell out of here.

Now, where should I start?

My eyes landed on a couple of girls digging into the food on the buffet table, but none resembled Hotaru's short ebony hair. I looked over at the group of females residing near the stage, cooing and shamelessly declaring their undying love for Reo as he rendered another song. _Fan girls_, I quickly shook my head in dismissal. Hotaru would never stoop down to that level. I trailed my eyes back to the dance floor, the only place I haven't thoroughly checked yet. Hotaru couldn't have been dancing as well, could she?

"**You put your right hand in; you put your right hand out. . .**"

The Hokey Pokey tune reached my ears and I impulsively turned around to the source of the sound. A group of girls, led by Sumire Shouda, were currently flashing their curves at the group of guys standing nearby in what was perceived as a Hokey Pokey dance. Actually, it looked more like strip dancing in my perspective. Did they have any idea on how disgustingly slutty they looked?

"**You put your right hand in; and you shake it all about. . ."**

I resisted the urge to gag when they started throwing off their masks like it was some kind of wedding bouquet. I was about to turn and flee in the opposite direction when a flash of gold caught my eyes. I froze, my feet suddenly rooted on the spot. A chill ran down my spine and my shoulders immediately tensed, as I slowly turned to face the person emerging from the stairs.

"**You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. . ."**

Clad in an black empire gown, cascading with chiffon layers of purple, blue and green; face concealed with a peacock mask; and a diamond-studded tiara atop her hair—there's no mistake about it.

Standing right there, in all her blonde glory, was the Queen Bee herself—Luna Koizumi.

"**That's what it's all about!"**

_Oh god_, this can't be happening. I felt my knees buckle as my eyes flitted across the room, desperately searching for any means of escape. I already have enough problems to deal with and the last thing I'd want is to be scandalized by the Queen Bitch. Carefully, I took a step backwards. Taking the stairs would mean that I would have to pass right by Lu—no, _no_, NO! That's head-on suicide! Calm down and think it through, Mikan. There has to be another way around this. There! Behind me was a door that led to the balcony, if I could only back up about five steps. . .

"You okay, sugar?"

I mentally groaned. I wonder how many bones I'd break if I jumped over the railing.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" I felt someone grab my arm and I winced, feeling long nails dig into my skin. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head, purposely avoiding eye contact. "I'm fine." I said in an almost whisper, afraid that she might recognize me from my voice.

"Well, if that's the case," Luna let out a girly giggle as she linked our arms together. "Let's go join them."

I gulped. Was she referring to the—"Hokey Pokey dance?"

"Uh-huh." she smiled, nodding like a little child.

"Uhm, maybe some other time." I muttered, carefully detaching myself from her. Was she always this clingy? I mean, _technically_, we just met, right?

"Aww! Come on, sugar. It'll be fun. Besides," she paused and moved to whisper to my ear "I'm pretty sure the hot guys over there are lusting to see you strip."

"THAT IS _SO_ IMPROPER!" My hands flew up to cover my mouth realizing I just snapped at her. "I. . .I didn't mean to—"

"Hmm, I get it." Crap, this is bad. _Really_ bad. "And here I was thinking we can actually get along." Luna drawled lazily, twirling my brown locks around a manicured finger. "Apparently, I thought wrong."

"W-What are you t-talking about?"

"I told you, didn't I?" She gave me a friendly pat on the cheek, smiling ever-so-sweetly as she traced the contour of my mask. "I told you not to ruin the fun party atmosphere."

I frowned, confused by her answer. _Not to ruin the fun party atmosphere_? As far as I can remember, we haven't talked about anything aside from the Hokey Pokey dance. Is it possible that she mistook me for someone else? That would explain why she'd been acting so touchy-feely with me. I inwardly laughed, that sounded so wrong.

I took a deep breath, hoping that it'll help me sort out my obviously messed-up head. A lungful more of air and the confusion finally began to fade. But, taking its place, I started feeling something else. It took me a moment to recognize why I was sweating, why my heart pumped like crazy, why my stomach felt upset, and why I suddenly wanted to run from the room.

My mask!

Luna had her hands on the edge of my mask. And worse, she kept on tugging it, smiling all the while. I was just about to tell her off, when her lips parted and moved, mouthing a single word. Two syllables. Separate and distinct.

I froze.

This can't be happening.

No way.

The Queen Bee. . .she knew. She recognized me.

"Don't worry. I'll let this pass. . ." Luna muttered, her smile condescending as she adjusted my mask ". . .for now, at the very least."

* * *

_(Earlier this week. . .)_

"_Oh, Mikan. There you are." From the corner of my eye, I saw the Queen approaching. She curtly slammed an envelope on the book I was currently reading. "I'm having my Sweet 16 debut at the Koizumi Penthouse."_

_I raised a brow in disbelief. "Wait, you're inviting me?"_

_Luna batted her eyelashes at me. "Duh. What does it look like I'm doing?" she propped her elbow on my desk, and then gestured me to lean closer. "I really want you to come, Mikan. Unfortunately, most of my guests don't. They said you might ruin the fun party atmosphere. And of course, we don't want that, right?"_

"_You don't have to worry about a thing, Luna." I replied coolly, "By now, I think you know that I'm not a big fan of parties." I pushed the invitation aside and continued to read where I left off. I thought that if I ignored her, she'd just go away. But noooo, Luna had to be a bitch and that includes grabbing __**Pride and Prejudice**__ and throwing it at the back of the room._

"_What the—?"_

"_Can someone get that for us, please?" Luna hollered, her high-pitched voice cutting through the air. In a blink of an eye, my book was back, lying limply on the palm of her hand. "Mikan, you really shouldn't go throwing stuffs like that. You could've hit someone, you know. Gracious! The cover got torn off. This is exactly why I don't settle for secondhand books." _

_Angry tears stung the back of my eyes as I glared at her as hard as I could. The nerve of this—oh god, curse this bitch—who cares if it's secondhand?! My book was doing just fine before she purposely threw it! Unforgivable. I can't believe she just did that. "You. . .what the hell do you want from me?"_

"_Nothing." _

"_Nothing?" I repeated heatedly. She destroyed my book for no reason?!_

"_You heard me." Luna replied, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face. "I want absolutely nothing from you. In fact, I think it's better if you just disappear. That way I won't have to deal with such a horrid sight everyday." _

_I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to slap her face off. I __**want**__ to do something. I know that I __**should**__ do something. But I hold myself back. I don't do this. I don't lose control. Besides, getting into a catfight with the Queen Bitch would only bring more trouble. I certainly don't want to be stuck in detention with her. _

_And so I let her speak._ _Insults and threats rushed out of her rotten mouth one after another. She spoke so softly though, a smile gracing her lips and a giggle every now and then. I bet my classmates think we're just having a girl talk. _

"_. . .I do feel bad for you, Mikan. I think it's pretty obvious that the only reason you don't attend social gatherings is because you know that no matter what you do, you will never fit in." she continued, pasting a fake sympathetic look on her face. "Oh, in case you're wondering, that envelope is empty. You didn't think I would actually waste an invitation for a lowlife, did you?"_

"_No, I did—" _

"_But you're still free to come." Luna cut in, turning up her nose. "Ask your fairy godmother for a decent gown though. We wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself in the party, now do we?" she laughed, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "That is, if you're stupid enough to show up."_

* * *

"L, are you coming or what?!" I heard Sumire call from across the hall.

Luna waved a dismissive hand at her. "Just a minute, S."

Crap, she already made her point, so why can't she just go?

"Why you insist on making a nuisance of yourself, I don't know," she sighed, "I almost feel sorry for you, you know that?" she shrugged, "Then again, there's nothing that can be done, so why waste sympathy?"

I flinched. She smirked at my reaction.

"Enjoy the ball while you can, Cinderella." Luna continued conversationally, looking off in the direction where Sumire and the other cheerleaders resided. "Magic wears off by midnight."

And with that, the Queen turned and left.

Can this night get any worse?

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

The Queen Bee stings like a bitch, doesn't she? Haha. I just _looove_ Luna. Anyway, **Mikan's cover is finally blown**! Honestly, you didn't think that I would profile Luna as the stupid blonde Queen, did you? She ain't the Queen for nothing, you know. So you better expect a lot more from her, dear readers!

Hmm, we should probably rejoice that this chapter was finished. FYI, I wasn't supposed to update till late October. We definitely have to thank whoever was responsible for the recent Monday holidays for that. And, of course, **thank you** for your continual support to this story. I swear I was flipping over with the **number of hits** I receive everyday and the **occasional reviews from new readers**. Yeah, you can probably guess that I was working my butt off the computer chair and typing this chappie during those free days. **And that's all because of you**!

So, what do you think of the chapter? I personally adore the part where Luna was tugging Mikan's mask. Should I reveal what's the word she mouthed? Well, for the sake of those who failed to guess what it was, it's "**Mikan.**"One word. Two syllables. Makes sense now?

I hope my writing skills haven't declined or anything though. My little sister kept on pestering me that I would get rusty—yup, that's the term she used—if I don't put my ideas into writing. Oh yeah! Have you read **Chapter 120**? I'm talking about the manga! Hell yeah! Toddler Natsume is just too cute! Gyah! He looks so innocent. Makes me wanna cuddle him and take him home! And yeah, the **NatsuMikan moment** there was so sweet!

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Action"_


	7. Action

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 7: "_Action_"-

"_Vous violà."_ (There you are.)

I blinked, a bit startled when a pair of leather shoes suddenly came into view. It took me a few seconds to realize that I had been staring at the floor.

I don't know how long I stood there—contemplating on whatever reason Luna might've had that stopped her from ripping the mask off my face—but it was long enough for the French guy to find me. Funny how he managed to do that when I couldn't even get a lead on Hotaru's whereabouts. Oh, the irony.

"Did something happen?" he asked, "You seem a bit out of it."

"Why do _you_ care?!" I snapped, feeling a brief and uncharacteristic flash of anger. It was too late when my mind registered that his question had been rhetorical, I had already turned my back and started to walk away. Mood swings, I know. But hell, I'm barely sober, I don't know where my best friend is, I've been busted by the Queen Bee, and he dared ask me, _did something happen?! _It's like adding salt to the injury. Of course, I'll be mad.

"Ah-! Sak—uhm. . ._mademoiselle_, wait!"

I kept walking, sloshing my way through the crowd of people.

"Where are you going?"

"Bug off." I snarled, utterly aware that he was gaining on me. It was impossible to outrun him in the first place (not while wearing high heels anyway), nevertheless, I took longer and faster strides, veering at every possible turn. Many turned their eyes on us—probably disturbed by our little scene—thankfully, no one bothered to intervene. It would've been a problem if someone decided to help the French guy and blocked my path.

"Hey! Wait up."

Ugh. Seriously, how long does he plan to keep this up?

"Can't you understand simple English? I said—" I peered over my shoulder, _"—_oh for heaven's sake, _laissez-moi tranquille!" _(Leave me alone!)

I continued to walk as quickly as I could without actually running, focusing on the glass doors at far end of the almost-vacant hall. The music from the dance floor was muffled now—it was getting quiet—there were no sounds other than my uneven breathing and the staggering footsteps which echoed through the empty space.

"Saku—" I heard him groan, "—Look, I need to talk to you."

"_Pardon, monsieur le Français_." (I'm sorry, Mister Frenchman) I said, finally confronting him, "But I do believe that there is _absolutely_ nothing to talk about." I started walking again, and for some reason, a notch angrier than before. I knew that he wasn't at fault—if anything, I think he's the one who should be angry since I ditched him earlier—and yet, I couldn't help but—"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

He sighed, obviously exasperated. "Could you stop and listen for a minute?"

"NO! Go aw—"

I felt my wrist yanked—forcefully—and in a flash, I was facing him, his arm wound around my waist.

"_You_, you. . ." I gasped. I couldn't think of a bad enough word. Just who the hell does he think he is? I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to remove my mask so that I could _properly_ glare at him. "Get your hands off me!" I shouted, struggling to get his grip loosen. "You better let me go of me or else I'll screa—_mmmpphh_!"

"_Chut! Chut! Chut! _(Ssh!/Hush!) Someone might hear you." he whispered, throwing quick glances around us.

"_Like I care._" was what I wanted to say, but his hand was pressed firmly against my mouth, stifling the words before I could even voice them out. I trashed violently—pounding and kicking and stomping and—_oh god, _just let go already!

"Stop it! Sa—"

_Let me go!_

"—kura, calm down."

_Let go!_

I jerked my body forward, and in one rough move, I managed to twirl around. He quickly adjusted his position though, securing an arm across my stomach while keeping a hand over my mouth. He continued telling me to relax (heck, as if I could) and spewed a few more things that sounded like "_I'm not going to hurt you_" when honestly, I didn't even care. Why should I listen to him anyway? Just because he sorta helped me earlier doesn't give him the right to _harass_ me. I swear to God, the moment he let go, I'll kick his sorry ass so hard he'll wish he had never left France.

"Stop being so difficult and listen to me!"

I ignored him. Instead, I trashed—more forceful and violent this time—wordlessly telling him I'm not stopping until he released me. I grabbed his wrist and I deliberately shook my head, trying to get his hand off my mouth. I'm not sure if he was aware of it, but he was clamping my jaw so tight, I could hardly breathe. In the heat of my anger—and probably adrenaline rushing to my veins—I bit his hand and launched an elbow to his face.

"_Aïe!_" (Ouch!)

Hmph, serves him right.

"That's. . .what you get. . .for messing with me!" I told him in between pants. "T-Touch me again and I'll charge you w-with sexual harassment."

"_Pour l'amour de Dieu, calme-toi._" (For God's sake, calm down.) he muttered, shaking his right hand—the one I bit—and massaging his cheek with his left. Something red trickled from the corner of his mouth, but it was gone as soon as I blinked, I wasn't sure if I just imagine it. At the very least, I hope it wasn't blood. I didn't hit him too hard, did I?

He looked at me and chuckled, "You seem worried."

"No, I'm not." I frowned, crossing my arm over my chest.

He chuckled _again_.

"What's so funny?"

"Lying was never your thing, Sakura." he muttered, still laughing to himself.

"What makes you think I'm—" Woah, back up, "—What did you call me just now?"

I heard the resounding clank of a metal and to my surprise, a mask—_his _white mask—was quivering ever-so-slightly on the marble floor. I slowly looked up and my heart immediately started beating faster when I caught a glimpse of his eyes. Clear. Iridescent. Blue. Just like sapphires. "I can't believe this." I mumbled, my eyes never leaving his face. Why didn't I notice this earlier?

"_Ruka_?"

He smiled and nodded his head, closing in the distance between us.

"Oh god, it's really you." I murmured, tears collecting in my eyes. It was embarrassing _and_ stupid, but I can't help it, I just felt like crying. "_You're here_." The sheer thought pushed me past the silent tears and sobs broke out from my chest. "You're _really_ here." My knees trembled for a second—I nearly collapsed—but I managed to hurl myself at him. "I'm so sorry." I blubbered, "I'm such an idiot. I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Ruka whispered, stroking my hair. "You don't need to apologize." His arms curled around me, hugging me closer for a minute or two, and then I felt him pull back. "Stop crying." he said, wiping my tears with the lightest of touches. "Surely, that's not the face you'd want to show me, right?"

I gave him a tentative smile. "Better?"

"I think that'll do for now." he replied with a chuckle, "Well then, shall we go?"

I sniffed. "Go. . .where?"

"Home, of course." His voice was thick with French accent. "It's almost midnight and a child like you—" he gently poked my nose, "—shouldn't stay up so late."

I would've puffed my cheeks and pouted at his taunting but I decided against it. "I can't leave yet." I muttered, obviously catching him off guard with my (lack of) comeback. "Hotaru is still here somewhere and I'm not leaving unless I find her."

"Sakura. . ." His face was serious, worried at once. I didn't understand why. "Listen, I hate that you'd have to hear this from me but," he paused, seemingly hesitant. "Imai. . .she already left."

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

Dun-dun-dun-duun. Yeah! We finally know where Hotaru went. Haha. As promised, I dedicate this chapter to the winner of my "**Where's Hotaru**" contest, **Innamorarsi**! She's actually the only one who managed to guess it right. Very clever. Here are some newly-baked chocolate chip cookies just for you.

Really, for a contest which I decided on whim, this surely made me laugh. I can't believe that many would actually participate. And yeah, I was practically rolling over with some of the answers. LOL. I'm flabbergasted by the trend of your answers, really. It's either the usual blackmail routine or pigging out in the buffet table or dancing. And heck, why is everyone associating Hotaru with Ruka? Am I the only one rooting for Hayate Matsudaira? Aww, come on, guys. Anyway, thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. **You know who you are.**

So how's the chapter?

This is actually a revised chapter 7. My first draft was finished somewhere in mid-October but I didn't have the time to post it. However, upon re-reading my work, I realized that it's too sappy and dangsty (drama + angst). God, you wouldn't even want to know what I wrote. It was just clichéd and unrealistic for me. Ugh. I'm just glad I managed to finish revising chapter in one sitting. Haha.

I find it quite funny that some of you failed to realize that the French guy is Ruka. Well, I intended to have the air of mystery around him, but if you're an avid reader of the GA manga, you'll know that **Ruka is half-French** and therefore, easily figure it out. Anyway, most of you are probably shocked that **Hotaru left**. But don't worry you'll understand why in the next chapter. **Mikan and Ruka's relationship** will also be cleared up by then. And for those who's looking for **Natsume, **don't worry, he still has some unfinished business with Mikan. I'm not planning to let her leave the party just like that.

You know the drill, everyone. I'll be waiting for reviews.

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Tension"_


	8. Tension

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 8: "_Tension_"-

"_Nogi, it's me."_

It was Hotaru. Only one person possessed that unnervingly monotone voice.

"_I'm in a hurry so I'll make this quick. I need you in the Koizumi Penthouse."_ There was a pause and the sound of something—probably a door—being slammed shut, before Hotaru continued, _"Mikan's there. Go find her."_

Again, she paused. Someone else spoke, it was a man, and no, it wasn't her brother. His voice was distant and muffled—Hotaru must've covered the phone—I could barely make out what he said. To me, it sounded like he was telling Hotaru to put the phone down and then, something about a _he_ calling anytime.

"_I have to go now. Tell Mikan that I'll explain everything tomorrow."_ she sighed, and then the rest of the words followed in a rush._ "Make sure she stays out of trouble. I'll hold you liable if something bad happens to her. Understand?"_

And the line went dead.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"I only noticed her message some time after you ran off." Ruka said, snapping the phone shut with a sharp twist of his fingers. "I tried to call her back but all I got was a busy tone."

"I'm confused." I mumbled, staring blankly as he slid his phone back to his pocket. Questions like '_Where was Hotaru heading?_', '_Who was she with_?', and '_Why did she leave?_' kept circling through my head and yet I couldn't focus on any one of them. My mind was sluggish. Nothing seemed to penetrate my brain at the moment, except for the fact that my best friend abandoned me and that things were spiraling out of control.

"Hey, cheer up." Ruka smiled, cupping my chin in his hand and coaxing me to look up at him. "Imai said she'll explain everything tomorrow, right? Just wait until then."

I sighed. For the past hour, I've been on my toes searching for _someone_ who wasn't even in the building. And now, they expect _me_ to wait for a few more hours for an explanation _I_ deserved. "I think that's unfair." I voiced out, looking straight into his blue eyes. "You can't spring something like that on me, and then expect me not to say or do anything. I think Hotaru's being unfair."

He moved—not quite sure whether he nodded or shook his head—before setting his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure she had her reasons."

"'I know. It's just. . ." I stopped, pursing my lips. Ruka seem to notice my hesitation as he mouthed a soft '_Go on_', urging me to continue. "Don't get me wrong, I love Hotaru. I really do. But sometimes," I sucked in a deep breath, "Sometimes, it's just _so hard_ to understand her." I finally admitted. "I don't know what she's thinking. She rarely speaks, and when she does it's usually an insult or a threat." A dry, humorless laugh escaped my lips. "Lately, I can't help but feel like I don't know her at all."

"Imai." he breathed, "She's really complicated, isn't she?"

Okay. . .that was unexpected.

"She is cold, greedy, devious, and conceited." Ruka murmured, his eyes innocent of any intended offense. Nevertheless, I winced at his choice of words. "Her world pretty much revolves around herself and money but," he paused, smiling wryly. "She cared enough to call someone to come and fetch you, didn't she?"

I blinked. Once. Then twice.

"Come on. You're her best friend. You _obviously_ spend more time with her than I do." he said, thoughtful, as if his mind was somewhere far away. "You should know her better than I do."

It didn't sink in at first. I continued to stare at him as the words slowly clicked into place one after another. Hotaru may indeed be unsociable, cunning, and selfish, even abrasive at times, but she isn't heartless. If she was, she wouldn't have bothered to call Ruka or anyone for that matter. It's true that this night have turned out to be a complete disaster and I'll probably be facing more problems in the morning but even so, I couldn't bring myself to blame Hotaru for dragging me into this mess. I don't regret coming here at all.

It was fun being anonymous. Hiding one's face from the world and not knowing the identity of anyone you meet is just so exhilarating. Yeah, getting busted by the Queen Bee sucked; but I think that's a small price to pay, considering the fact that I got to see Reo perform in the flesh and the fact that I managed to grab Hyuuga's full attention. Now that I think about it, if Hotaru hadn't talked me into this masquerade ball, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to experience all of these things. If she hadn't left, I wouldn't be with Ruka right now.

"You know what," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I just realized that there's a fat chance that Hotaru planned this from the very start."

"I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"Me either." I giggled, linking his arm with mine. "I guess that's Hotaru for you. Unpredictable." _Just like a puzzle_. "But then again, I like her just the way she is."

The gentle smile I loved best flashed across his face. "Now that we're all settled, shall we leave?"

I nodded, greatly enthused by the thought of going home.

"Speaking of which, when did you get back? I thought you're staying in Paris 'til November?" I asked as we walked. Just when he was about to answer, another question popped in my mind. "And how come _only_ Hotaru knows that you're back? You should have told me first."

He raised a brow. "_Jaloux?_" (Jealous?)

My cheeks flushed and I instantly regretted bringing up the topic. "Me? Jealous? _Please_, why should I be?"

"You know," His smile widened into a playful grin. "You could've just said 'no'."

Oh god.

He laughed, then pulled me tight against his side and started to lead me forward. "I didn't tell Imai." he clarified, all trace of teasing gone. "I haven't told anyone except for Natsume. So you can just imagine my _pleasant_ surprise when I realized that Imai _actually_ knew. As for when and why I came back," he paused, "I'll tell you the details later. Right now, we have to get you out of here."

I didn't dare utter another word after that. I was scared stiff that I might say or ask something stupid again, embarrassing myself even further. (My face could rival a tomato as it is.) And so we walked in silence. I couldn't think of anything else to say anyway, and he didn't speak so it _was_ a quiet walk, until we reached the party room, that is. I could've sworn several people below started whispering as soon as we descended from the stairwell. I mean, who wouldn't? Ruka Nogi—someone who was _supposedly_ in France right now—just appeared in the room with a brunette wearing _his_ white dinner jacket. It's only natural that they'd be surprised.

_Because we looked like a couple. _

"You shouldn't have left your mask back there." I told him, the words coming out in a low rush. "You're attracting too much attention."

He just chuckled. "Actually, the one they're staring at is _you_."

"You don't know that. Unlike you, they're wearing masks." I reasoned, furiously concentrating on my heels. Walking down the stairs (while talking) was much more difficult than climbing up. It felt like I could slip and fall flat any minute now. "And if they really are staring—which I doubt they are—that's only because you're with me." I muttered, eyeing our still-interlocked arms.

_If only I didn't reject him back in elementary, then maybe. . . _

"Don't mind them." Ruka mumbled, snapping me out of reverie. He put his hand lightly on my waist and pulled me with him as we climbed down. "_S'avancer,_ _pas à pas._" (Come on, step by step.)

_Yeah, if only I didn't. . ._

I sighed. Thinking about what-could-have-been's would bring me no good.

"You sure Hotaru didn't blackmail you into doing this?"

"Well, I could ask you the same. Last time I checked, you're allergic to parties. So, what are _you_ doing here?"

"_Cela ne vous regarde pas._" (That's none of your business.)

He smiled, "Very impressive. When did you learn French?"

"Uhm, last semester. I took up Foreign Languages as one of my electives. Mr. Narumi was a great teacher." I answered, thankful for the sudden change of topic. I wouldn't want to relay the whole story behind this _farce_. Heck, I don't even want to think about it. "Oh, I read some books in French, too. _Les Misérables_ and _Tristan et Iseult._ They're really nice."

"I see. You're really amazing."

"You're just saying that." I muttered, fighting back the blush caused by his offhand comment. "Anyway, I'm curious. We haven't seen each other for almost a year and even so, you still recognized me."

"You may look a bit different but—" Ruka suddenly broke off, his mouth open, almost like something had cut off his air. But then his lips curved into a heartwarming smile. "—Natsume?"

And just like that, my world went into a standstill. Music and laughter faded into the background, and all that was left was the sound of _his_ footsteps. My heart throbbed so badly, like it was being inflated, invading the cavity for my lungs and blocking my throat. Hyuuga was coming—no, scratch that—_he_ was already there, standing right before us.

"Ruka. . ."

I closed my eyes and flinched. For some reason, I knew what exactly what Hyuuga was going to say.

". . .care to introduce me to your date?"

* * *

_SeraphMia_

This is my birthday treat for everyone. I hope you like the cliffhanger. (I'm now older than Edward Cullen by a year. *sigh* No need to rub it in.)

Anyway, about the chapter. I'm not sure if I did it well since I rushed this a bit (I really wanted to update today) and because I'm really getting worked up with the next chapter. So to clear things up, the first part here is a **voicemail.** I think iphones and some cellphones are able to playback voicemails, so basically, Ruka let Mikan hear Hotaru's message. Originally, there was a short "I-don't-believe-you-Hotaru-won't-just-leave-me" tirade before that, but I deemed it unnecessary so I deleted it. Besides, I'm so fed up of Mikan's tantrums, aren't you?

Hmm, I see that most of you are **HotaRuka fans** but the problem is. . .I'm not. I can't really imagine the two of them together. I'm really sorry. **Ruka's love may be unrequited **(referring to the manga)** but I don't think he'll ever fall for another girl. **On the other hand, Hotaru, for me, is too career-oriented to think about entering a relationship. I'll try to make them interact (since a couple of you requested it), but don't expect much. **Romance between the two, if any, will be subtle**.

I've kinda revealed a bit about Mikan and Ruka's relationship here. So yes, Ruka confessed to Mikan back in elementary. Unfortunately, she rejected him. Whether it was because they were too young or because she liked somebody else, you'll know in the future chapters. Regarding **her feelings for Ruka** right now, I guess you can say that it's **infatuation. **Fellow Natsume fans, let's try not to be biased here, okay? Ruka is good catch (almost as good as Natsume, sometimes even better). The way Higuchi Tachibana portrayed him—blue eyes and golden hair plus his personality—it's like his the embodiment of Prince Charming himself. It's normal and easy to fall for guys like him, don't you agree?

Finally. . .

Yay! Let's celebrate! **Natsume's back in the game!!! **Haha. It was bound to happen anyway. Ruka wasn't wearing a mask, Mikan's gown was a vivid red, they took the stairs—it's like they're asking for attention. Well, not like there's an alternative route anyway. So you can say that Natsume and the two are destined to clash. I smell a love triangle. Haha.

Well then, I'm off. I trust that you know the drill by now, I'll be waiting for your feedbacks. I'll treat them as my birthday gifts.

P.S. I'll probably update again before **November 12**, if compelled by your reviews. (By compelled, I don't mean threats and pleads for me to 'Update Soon', I'm referring to comments and the like). If not, I'll probably be entangled with the second semester and school stuffs again, so update would most likely be moved on **November 27. **Natsume's birthday.

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Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Friction"_


	9. Friction

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 9: "_Friction_"-

Just when I thought that my problems for tonight were finally settled, _he_ suddenly stepped in and everything went back to haywire. It was like having my worst nightmare walk forward to greet me. Of _all_ people, why does it have to be _him_ who shows up at the end of this damn staircase? It could've been anyone, but _nooo_, it just had to be _him_. Oh god, please tell me, how much more of _this_ must I endure before this farce comes to an end?

"Just play along. I'll handle this." I heard Ruka mutter from my right. For a second, that surprised me, I'd forgotten he was even there. I heaved a sigh. At least, I won't have to deal with this alone. Besides, there's a bigger possibility of keeping the situation under control if it's the two of us. Ruka was really good at acting and I. . .uhm. . .well, I sucked at that department, but the point is, with his talent and a little bit of luck, we might be able to get out of here unscathed.

"This is Natsume Hyuuga. I think I've mentioned him a few times in our conversation earlier." Ruka began, words coming out almost naturally. (I would've laughed if not for the pressing matters at hand. I mean, it's kinda funny and absurd that Hyuuga and I were being introduced when we have been at each other's throat for nearly half a decade.) "Natsume, this is—"

"Ruka." I interrupted smoothly, finally finding my voice. "I don't mean to be rude to your friend, but I personally think this isn't the right time for introductions." I turned my head to face Hyuuga, a small nervous smile on my lips. "It defeats the whole purpose of this masked ball, don't you think?"

Beside me, Ruka let out a chuckle before giving a short reply and nodding in agreement. It's really nice to have someone back me up on this. But then again, it wasn't Ruka's answer that mattered. It was Hyuuga's. And hell, it didn't look like he was responding anytime soon. He was just _there_. . .looking—_no_, staring at us. . .his eyes on _me_, and for once, I felt extremely grateful to Luna for coming up with a masquerade ball. If staring at me with his mask still on made me _this_ self-conscious, then what more if he wasn't wearing any? Just thinking of his blood red eyes makes my stomach lurch.

"I, uh, I hope I didn't offend you, Hyuuga." I said, my tone shockingly sincere. I guess being civil was not as hard as I thought. "I've been looking forward on meeting Ruka's best friend for quite some time now, and to be able to do so. . .It's really a pleasure."

My hand reached out without my permission, extending across the distance between us, and onto his awaiting palm. Not really sure what possessed me to do that, but I instantly regretted my actions when I saw him smirk. I only meant a casual shake of hands but apparently, Hyuuga had something else in mind. He brought my hand closer to his face and very gently, his lips brushed on my skin.

"The pleasure is mine."

At the sound of his voice, my already sore heart gave a painful little throb. I tried to pull my hand away but he only tightened his grip. Just what kind of _stunt_ was he _trying_ to pull off? And why on earth was he smirking? I glared and was about to tell him to just that when I felt myself waver and the step beneath me suddenly disappeared. It was too late when I realized what he had done—I was already stumbling, the momentum and the weight of my body shifting forward.

Freakin' Hyuuga _pulled_ me.

I wanted to close my eyes and scream, but I couldn't. Unlike the movies, the world didn't go on slow motion. If possible, it went even faster—so fast, in fact, that my body didn't even have time to react. I only found myself airborne for a second and then, with a sound _thud,_ I crashed onto something solid and warm.

It was Natsume.

At the back of my mind, I knew that I should push him away. Because at the back of my mind I knew that this was wrong—I shouldn't be clinging to him like this. At the very least, not when he just yanked me off the stairs. I was supposed to be angry—I _wanted_ to be angry—but I just _wasn't_. Because for some stupid reason, I felt utterly safe and, for the moment, completely unbothered that I was in _his_ arms. . .

"Tell Ruka that you'll be staying with me for the night." he whispered, snapping me out of my reverie.

. . .And just like that I felt stupid for feeling that way.

"Tell him," he moved his hand to the side of my neck, "Or would you rather have me rip that mask off your face?"

I shivered, whether from his touch or the threat in his voice, I wasn't so sure. "You. . .You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me."

My eyes were probably as large as plates when his fingers slipped under my mask. _Holy crap_—he was serious?! I froze, holding my breath. If I moved as much as an inch now, my mask would surely come off. Damn it, what to do? What should I do? At this rate, I'm dead meat. Everyone will find out. Heck, I could already see the headlines on the school paper tomorrow—**EXPOSED:** **Mikan Sakura is a horrendous tramp**—_oh god_, does it even matter? This will all be over soon. There's nothing I can do about it.

Game over.

* * *

"Natsume, is she alright?"

I flinched. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ruka walking toward us, with an expression I couldn't quite understand. He looked _daunted_ for some reason and almost hesitant to approach us. Confused, I let my eyes return to Hyuuga, (expecting to see his trademark smirk) only to find his lips pressed in a firm line. He clicked his tongue and surprisingly withdrew his hand from my mask. I sighed, relieved that luck was with me for once. Making sure that I have a steady footing, I gave Hyuuga a shove. It was futile—the guy was as stubborn as a rock—he wouldn't let go. Instead, his grip tightened, and with a roll of nausea, I was spun around and faced with Ruka.

"I'll borrow her."

Shit, not this again. "Hyuuga, let me go." I hissed, my face red from embarrassment and anger. Just who does he think he is? Talking about _borrowing_ me like I'm some sort of _plaything. _Despicable!

"Natsume, that's rude." Ruka rebuked, smiling lightly to take the sting out of his tone. He sent me an apologetic look. "Besides, we were just about to leave. It's late and I promised her parents to take her home by twelve."

"It's already past twelve. A few more minutes wouldn't hurt." Natsume replied as he draped his arm around my shoulder. (I didn't miss the fact that blue eyes narrowed and flickered over my shoulder before returning to Hyuuga.) "I'm sure she doesn't mind."

Ruka shook his head. "I'm not handing her over."

"I'm not asking you to, Ruka." Hyuuga retorted, raking his free hand through his hair. "Just give me some time to talk to her. After that, she's all yours."

_All yours. . ._

_Yours. . ._

The words were strong in my ears, initiating a series of chain reactions in my system. I felt blood rush to my face, leaving the rest of my body cold and numb. What the hell is wrong with this two?! There's so much tension between them, it was practically suffocating. All this talk about borrowing and handing me over—not to mention, that strange _edge_ in their voices—was making my head hurt. My breathing caught and my pulse sped in response to the stress. Something told me that unless I act out now, this conversation would lead to something I'd probably regret for the rest of my life. But, what _exactly_ should I do?

"Natsume, _please_." Ruka muttered, pressing a fist against his temple and squeezing his eyes shut. "Not her."

"I insist."

They stopped, both of them. They just faced each other in dead silence. Several people gathered near us, most of them inching close enough to eavesdrop. It was annoying. I don't know if it's because they were drunk, but a number of them had the nerve to chinwag about us. Heck, their voices were loud enough to drown the music playing in the background. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that they were purposely talking out loud for us to hear.

'_Sweet, they're fighting over a girl.'_

'_Never thought Nogi had it in him. . .'_

'_So, who's the hot chick?'_

'_I guess Natsume found his new target, huh.'_

I had to swallow back the bile that rose up my throat. What in heaven's name are they talking about? Ugh. This is getting _way_ out of hand. The longer we stay here, the more attention we draw. And the more attention we draw, the riskier it is for me to stay. Luna had never been a girl who just sat back and watched from the sidelines, she was bound to do something _grand_ to recapture the spotlight. And if I don't move now, I might have to deal with confronting her again. I sighed, noting the very uncharacteristic scowl on Ruka's lips and the weight of Hyuuga's arm over my shoulder. I sighed again, why are things so damn _complicated_?

The silence—well, the almost-silence—was unnerving. I didn't want to be the one to break it, but apparently that was my only choice if I ever wanted this to end. "It's alright." I mumbled, my throat constricting painfully before I managed a soft, "I don't mind." It took some time for Ruka to understand what I meant, but when he did, he looked quite offended. He opened and closed his mouth twice before finally asking if I was sure. I nodded, jaw tight. "_Il n'y a rien à faire_." (It can't be helped.) And immediately, he frowned, catching the implication behind my words. "_Ne vous en faites pas." _(Don't worry.) I urged, half-smiling. "I can take care of myself. Just wait for me downstairs."

Ruka looked like he wanted to disagree but then he sighed, patted my head, and stepped past us. _"Dépêchez-vous donc."_ (Do be quick.)

I peered over my shoulder and smiled. "I'll be there in a jiffy."

* * *

"Let's get this over with." I grumbled, "What do you want?"

Hyuuga stood there, with his black hair ruffled in a heap, two drinks in his hand as he walked over to my side. "I thought you said you were thirsty." he teased.

"I thought you said you wanted to talk." I countered, crossing my arms. He smirked, setting the drinks. . ._somewhere_. I really couldn't care. "Well, what are you waiting for? Talk."

"Actually," he drawled out, "I want to dance."

I glared. "I told you I'd only dance with you once, and I mean it."

"Hmm, that's too bad. I was going to give you a present afterwards." He grinned and pulled a chain of metal out of his pocket.

It was a loop of keys, an odd-looking teddy bear served as its keychain and dangled loosely at the side, and it vaguely resembled the trinket Mom gave me when I was six. In fact, the set of silver keys looked quite familiar as well. It looked just like my. . ._oh no_. No, no, no! That _can't_ be right. I promptly slipped a hand into the hidden pocket concealed near the seam of my dress. Emptiness touched my fingers and I instantly dished out my meanest glare at Hyuuga. My house keys were supposed to be in my pocket, not looping around his fingers, _goddamnit_!

"When the _hell_ did you take them?" I hissed, stretching out a hand. "_Give_."

"I _found_ them."

And with a smirk plastered on his face, he turned and walked away.

_Oh, crap. _

I wouldn't be able to get into the apartment without those keys. Grandpa would definitely have a heart attack if he found out that I sneaked out _and_ lost the keys—our only pair of keys, might I add—and then he'll call Mom to get the spare keys and _god,_ there's no way around this! I had to get those _keys_ back. "Wait!" I chased him unwillingly, trying to think through the panic. "Hyuuga, stop! Give them back." His steps didn't even waver. "You know what? Fine! Let's compromise. Give me my keys and I will. . .uhm. . .I'll tell you my name."

Abruptly, he spun around to face me, looking thoroughly amused. "You expect me to believe you?"

Damn, this guy is sharp.

I closed my eyes and sighed, ignoring the fact that his body aggravatingly close. "What do you suggest then?" I asked, resigned. I felt his hands under my jaw and I opened my eyes just in time to catch his face up close, only inches away from mine. He smirked and leaned closer, his fingers trailing up the length of my neck, waking my skin in a way I had never felt before. My heart fluttered. My stomach dropped. And when I tried to breathe, my lungs would not obey. Those eyes. . . the intention in his crimson eyes. . .I recognized it all-too-well.

I gulped, "Na-Natsume?"

"You were asking for my suggestion, right?" he muttered, his thumb occupying the space between our lips. "Here's my answer."

* * *

_SeraphMia_

Repost, my dears. I just had to post something on **Natsume's birthday**! Well, I originally intended to post this chapter on this day, right? Besides, I proofread this and found a few typos and some bumps in the flow. I corrected them, but the content is pretty much same as before. Anyway, I'm surprised with the heated response about the whole **"Queen of Cliffhangers" **title. Haha. Yeah, I'm pure evil. Most of my chapters ended in a cliffhanger, didn't they? Well, you can say that **cliffhangers are my signature**. That's the way I do things. You see, my creative muse suddenly stops working when I come across a particular scene, that's the part when I usually end the chapter. Besides, I find it extremely entertaining to have everyone so eager to know what's gonna happen next. It makes me feel all giddy inside. Haha. Anyway, I'm giving props to **Denise**, for bestowing the title to me. I'd gladly live up to the name.

I'm not gonna say much about this chapter since I believe it speaks for itself. I'm just glad that I've managed to give a fresh insight for the **HotaRuka fans**. I hope you see things in my perspective. I think I've made Ruka's love interest very clear in this chapter. I've also made my point regarding Natsume's and Mikan's character. Let's not stereotype or expect them to be perfect, okay? Everyone has their flaws. Even I do. But, being different makes us special. And, uh, forgive me for Mikan's vulgar language. I figured if at 10, she already screams words like "_Idiot_!", "_You_ _pervert_!", "_Hotaru_, _you_ _cold_-_hearted_ _pig_!" and the likes. She would definitely dish out profanities when she aged.

I'd love to hear your comments on this one. 'What will you think will happen next?', questions, clarifications, parts that you liked or disliked. I will try to answer to each and every one of them. **Next chapter will be the last for the "Masquerade arc" **so brace yourself. There are still a lot of surprises lurking just beyond the corner. Also, to those **anonymous reviewers** **who wanted converse with me, **please be aware that **Fanfiction blocks URLs and email addresses from being displayed **in reviews and replies. (The same thing happens with profanities, they are censored or deleted). So, if you really want to talk to me, you can go **visit my profile**, scroll down, and you're free to **add me in YahooMessenger**. Introduce yourself though, I'm liable to decline request if you suddenly pop up without any explanation. About my **French**, it just happens that my college offers that as an elective and I sorta know how to construct the language. Not a fluent speaker though. I still have a lot to learn.

Okay, you know the drill. **Review**!

**IMPORANT MESSAGE:** _Puh_-lease stop bugging me about the next update. I'm too busy to finish that any time soon. I haven't even started the chapter yet. I told you, scholarship and 21 academic units are hard to manage. So please understand that no matter how many times you PM me about the next chap, I won't be able to update it. And don't feel disappointed if you didn't get a reply from me, I'm not ignoring you. It's just that I'm really **really **busy. I'll try to answer them, when I find some time. I hope you understand. Oh! To clear this once and for all, n**ext update will be on Christmas break. **

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Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Conclusion"_


	10. Conclusion

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 10: "_Conclusion_"-

_This is insane._

My eyes were shut by the time I felt his lips press against mine. His mouth was abruptly hard and rough, warm hands on my face as his lips moved in urgent, unfamiliar patterns. It was so much stronger than I expected. . .so _different_ from what I remembered. . .He certainly didn't kiss like _this_ when we were ten.

_Pull back... _

His lips moved aggressively, and their pressure made me open my mouth—just a little—but still, it was enough to allow him to deepen the kiss. He tasted of wine and strawberries . . ._bittersweet_. . . intoxicating—just like alcohol—and with it, all thoughts of resistance and self-control flew out the window. Every hormone in my body sizzled as my heart rammed against my chest, blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins. All the while, his lips, warm and soft, stayed on mine.

Belatedly, as I heard a low guttural sound from Natsume, as his fingers held me tighter and as his lips moved even surer against mine, did I realized what was happening. The repercussions of what _I _was doing dropped on me like an ACME anvil.

_I_ was kissing _him_ back.

Against all reason, my lips were moving with his in strange, confusing ways they'd never moved before. . .

My eyelids fluttered open with the sudden realization and I found that his eyes were open, too—smoldering, even behind a mask—just half an inch away. _Was he watching me. . .all this time?_ I gasped. Already, I couldn't breathe right. That faint smell of—oh god, I don't know what to compare his scent to—it was his own, and I hated how much I seemed to like it. It was stupid. It wasn't right. But I just _didn't_ care.

I did not _want_ to care.

One hand knotted in my hair, pulling me to him as if it was possible for us to be any closer; the other, wandered down my shoulder and slipped under my dinner jacket. The way he _touched _me...it felt nice—so..._warm_—I hadn't really noticed how cold I was until then. My heart stuttered and pumped faster and harder inside my chest, beating a rapid _lub-dub-lub-dub_ against my ribs, while words like 'MORE' and 'NATSUME' and 'CLOSER' echoed inside my head. It was terrifying. Not once in my life had I felt such hot, wrenching desire. But I didn't want any of it. Not with this guy.

I frowned. I've heard enough 'kiss-and-tell' from girls who claimed that kissing really made women weak in their knees, feel butterflies in their stomach, and all those other cliché side effects written in romance novels. All this time I thought they were just exaggerating. I guess I was wrong. This kiss was mind-blowing. Literally.

_But this has to stop. _

_Now. _

It seemed like a doomed effort at first. My arms wouldn't move, and even if they did, I doubt I had enough strength to push him off anyway. The same thing goes for my legs; they were practically rooted on the floor. My brain might as well be disconnected from the rest of my body for all the work it was—or should I say, _wasn't_—doing. And, well, this left me with no choice but resolve to the last resort—_bite him_. Suffice to say, _t__hat_ hurt enough to make him pull back, but not to stop him altogether. It took me half a second and a smirk to realize that he was nowhere close to finish. I blinked and the next thing I knew, hot breaths were already scorching their way down hollow of my throat. Once again, my thoughts scattered. I couldn't focus on anything but the sparks his lips ignited as he kissed his way up my neck.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god! _

He shifted his head, his nose tracing my jawbone, "Good or bad?"

"Don't. . .I. . .I can't think." I mumbled, unable to recognize my own voice. I wanted to tell him to stop, but the words lodged themselves in my throat and what came out was a stifled moan.

"That sounds. . ._good_."

I could've sworn I heard him chuckle before he blew into my ear and ran his tongue over the sensitive flesh there. At the moment, I could only hold still—eyes closed and fingers curled into fists at my sides—as his mouth pressing with much more force. He set my hair aside and trailed butterfly kisses down the length of my neck, stopping only when he reached my collarbone. I only realized what he intended to do a second before his teeth grazed my skin.

_Stop! _

I let out a strangled scream and my body revolted from the sharp pain. It burned and I gasped, choking back the other screams I felt coming. My head swan incoherently. And my limbs broke free from my control.

_Get off!_

My left hand reached for his face—his hair—to wind my fingers and pull his head away, but my right hand reacted faster. In a blink of an eye, my fist flew and went straight for his jaw, knocking his face away with a blunt, low sound. Flesh against flesh. Hard and angry.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS _**THAT**_?!" I yelled, hand on my throbbing shoulder, feet easing a few steps back. "DO YOU THINK-_gasp_-YOU'RE SOME KIND OF _**VAMPIRE**_ OR SOMETHING?-_gasp_-JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE-_gasp_-BITING ME?!"

"Look who's talking. If I remember correctly," he dabbed a thumb on the corner his lips, "_you_ were the one who bit _first_."

"THAT'S DIFFERENT, YOU MORON!" I hissed, ignoring the sudden heat on my cheeks. "I only bit you because you wouldn't stop. . . . ._kissing_ me."

I looked away and cursed when I noticed people whipping their heads around in an attempt to make it seem like they _weren't_ looking in the first place. Nosy busybodies.

"Hey."

I took a deep breath and counted to five before throwing a glare at his direction, "What now, Hyuuga?"

He snorted. "That mark—"

"Oh _please_. Enough already!"

"—should take a few days to heal and that should give me more than enough time to discover who you are."

"_**WHAT?!**_"

I frowned. He smirked.

"You heard me," he removed his skewed, off-center mask, "I'll have your name before that mark disappears."

_God, this is hopeless. _

I glared at him but he wasn't looking at me, his eyes were fixed at the hand on crook of my neck, and that only made me glare even harder. "You disgust me." I clutched on my shoulder, anger peaking at the smug look on his face. "This is just another game for you, isn't it?"

Natsume stiffened. His eyebrows came together in a way that made him look angry and confounded at the same time. But it was the bland expression that immediately covered it up which caught me off-guard. Between his condescending smirk and his poker face, the latter was much _much _intimidating. Really, w_hat's wrong with him now?_

"You know what? Whatever. I don't give a damn." I let out a heavy sigh, not bothering to mask my frustration. "Just. . .just gimme my keys back, will you?"

"Fine." he grumbled, looking awfully bored as he fished out the keys from beneath his blazer. "Catch."

What a _nice_ way of returning things.

"Gee, thanks." I muttered with quiet sarcasm. I hastily secured the keys inside my pocket and without as much as a glance, I turned around and left.

* * *

"Come on, come on." I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for the elevator. It was currently on the 11th floor, more or less halfway from here.

**12**. . . . .**14**. . ._hurry up_. . .**15**. . . . .

"Leaving so soon, princess?"

I froze, every function of my body arrested as I listened. Unfortunately, I didn't have long to hope that I'd just imagined the sound. Within seconds, Luna's voice ripped through the air again.

"My, my. You didn't think I'll let you off so easily, now did you?"

I flinched. Nothing she said now could possibly be good. I frowned and thought about sticking my fingers in my ears while chanting "I can't hear you. _La-la-la-la-la_~!" just for the heck of it, but what would _that_ accomplish.

**17**. . . . .**18**. . ._darn it_, _go faster_. . .**19**. . . . .

"I'm just joking. You can stop squirming now." she giggled, "It'll help you look less. . ._pathetic_."

_Let it go, Mikan. Don't say anything. You'll only make it worse._

"Oh, what's this? Cat got your tongue?" she mocked, thoroughly amused by my lack of response, "Anyway, I just want to say how sorry I am for judging you."

**21**. . . . .**22**. . . . .The bell sounded, and the elevator doors swooshed open. I hurriedly slid inside and pushed the || button, anxious for the doors to close—but they didn't, Luna's hand stopped them from moving.

"I thought you were a gauche, _fatuous_, self-effacing altruist who does nothing but read that _riffraff_ about happy endings. Honestly, you seem too much of a goody two-shoes, it's _sickening_." Her lips curved into a haughty smile. "But as it turns out, I underestimated you. I mean, who would have thought that sweet, _innocent_ little Mikan could actually," she gave me a quick once-over, "Do what you just did."

"Luna, I—"

The bell dinged, the elevator hushed shut, and I was left on my feet, shaking. _Luna_. My hands trembled in tight fists. I _hate_ her. I really _really_ hate her. I glared at the steel doors before me, ripped the mask off my face, and glared even harder at the angry brunette who glowered back with just as much fervor. I yelled, and because no one was around to hear, I yelled some more. I said some pretty dirty words, getting more and more enraged as my throat started to give out.

"I hate you." I whispered, my reflection mimicking my every action, "I hate _you_ even more."

* * *

"We're here."

I looked up, struggling to see if we were, indeed, in front of my apartment. It was really dark outside and frankly, I won't be able to tell where we were if not for the car's headlights. I gave out a weak chuckle, "I'm surprised you still remember where I lived."

"Yeah..."

"Well, thanks for the ride, Ruka." I muttered before fumbling with my seat belt, hurried to get out of the car.

"Sakura. . ."

Oh, shoot. "Uhm, yes?"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. No need to worry." _Lie_.

I waited for him to say something, but he was quiet.

"Ruka?"

"What happened back there?" he asked, blue eyes now focused on the windshield. "Did Natsume do something. . .?"

My heart skipped and my hand instinctively shot up to cover my neck. "No, we just. . ._talked_." Another lie. "Like I said, there's no need to worry."

Ruka sighed, turned his attention on me—my hand—and I almost wanted to throw myself at him and cry because it felt like he knew. Somehow, it was comforting that he seemed to understand. It lessened the guilt I felt for lying.

"I'm sorry." he mumbled, looking away.

_Huh_? I cocked my head to the side. "What are you apologizing for?"

Apparently, my question startled him. He even seemed surprised that I heard what he said. "_Ce n'est rien_," (Never mind.) he shook his head and smiled, "Come on, I'll walk you to the door."

And it was my turn to panic. "No, no, no! You don't have to. It's been a long night and I bet you're just as tired as I am. Besides, Grandpa might misunderstand. I don't want to get you into trouble." I saw something cross over his face—an expression that I wasn't familiar with—but it gave me the impression that I had missed something important, something that I _should have _understood. "Ruka. . .I, uh. . .Oh! I almost forgot. Your jacket—"

"You can keep it." he interjected. (Hmm, so it wasn't the jacket?) I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off before I could say anything. "It's cold outside. You'll need that."

I wanted to argue that my house was no more than a few steps away but seeing that it was pointless, I just smiled and showered him with _thank you_'s. A few more exchange of words and I was finally out on the sidewalk, waving my hand as his car sped away. It's weird, but as I watched Ruka leave, I found myself unexpectedly consumed with both relief _and_ regret. I was relieved that there was apparently no one left I would have to lie to, but at the same time, I regretted the fact that I was now all alone.

I sighed and nearly tripped when I began walking. I took another step and tripped again, stepped and kept on tripping until I stumbled my way across the uneven pavement and into our front porch. Cursing under my breath, I slipped a hand in the pocket of my dress. I slowly pulled out my keys—I wouldn't want to accidentally drop them—then blindly, I felt for the key hole. Locating it somewhere between my fingers I pushed a key into it and twisted. . .

_Clank, clank, clank_

Strangely, the lock didn't click. So I tried another key. . ._clank_. . .and another. . ._clank_. . .but still the door wouldn't open. Confused, I pulled out the set of keys again and reexamined them more closely. They were all silver, but there was something missing, I was sure of it. Shaking my head, I peered in closer and noticed that my _Mr. Bear_ keychain was nowhere in sight.

"Oh crap."

My knees buckled and I slumped against the wall, sliding until I thumped on the floor.

You have GOT to be KIDDING me!

"These keys. . ." I swallowed thickly, ". . .they're Hyuuga's?"

I stared at offending set of metal—which has gotten _dramatically_ heavy for some reason—and inwardly wished that Mr. Bear just fell off somewhere.

But even _I_ knew that was _not_ the case.

"These are _his_ keys." I breathed, laughing lightly at the irony of it all.

What a mess_._

"I really screwed up this time, huh." I sighed, hugging my legs (to hold myself together).

It was 3 o'clock in the morning—and I was all alone, _cold_, and locked out of my house. Grandpa would probably kill me once he wakes up and sees me in such a horrendous state and revealing attire. Mom, on the other hand, would surely freak out when she hears about my daring escapade. And I'd—more or less—be grounded for the rest of the year. But somehow, despite all that has happened tonight, I couldn't shed a single tear.

Maybe it's because. . .deep down, I _knew_ that. . .this is what I deserved.

That after screwing up so much tonight. . ._maybe—_

—I just wasn't _supposed_ to have a happy ending.

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

Happy holidays, dear readers! I promised you an update during the Christmas break, and here it is. This is, by far, the longest chapter I've written for **Seducing the Seducer. **To be perfectly honest, I'm quite nervous about this one. I originally had the whole thing planned out, but when I started typing the chapter. . .plot bunnies just kept on hopping in. In fact, I had so many plot bunnies, I've thought of 3 different flows for this chapter. Expectations were quite high from the previous chapter and I wasn't quite sure if I could top it off. There were so many speculations from my cliffhanger and I was somewhat pressured by all that. Anyway, I'm sure some of you will find this chapter squeal-worthy but I'm also certain that some will find this a bit. . . .uh, I don't know. And that's exactly why you need to review.

On another note, there are a few things I'd like to say. And I'd really appreciate it if you take time in reading all of these:

1. The **Masquerade Arc is over.** Phew, 10 chapters for 1 night? It's quite long, isn't it? Anyway, rest assured that the next arc will have a faster pace than this. What's it about? Well, I'll leave that to your imagination.

2. Again, I'm extending my thanks to **Ah Hael. **I intended the **"hickey" plot **from the start. But Ah Hael was the only one who saw through it and she was also the one responsible for some of the dialogue I used above. Credits to her.

3. You nominated me for the **Gakuen Alice Reader's Choice Awards '09**?! Goodness! I'm not sure if I'm worthy of that. Anyhow, thank you for believing in me and my story. I honestly don't know what else to say.

4. I guarantee **a reply to each review** for this chapter. So you better make it count. I suggest you include (to your review) everything you'd like to say: questions, reactions, speculations and clarifications.

That said and done, **Happy New Year** to all and **Happy Birthday, Mikan!**

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"Repercussions"


	11. Repercussions

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 11: "_Repercussions_"-

_Monday, 9:30 a.m., Algebra_

_Dear Diary, _

_I'm sorry it's been so long.__I can't really explain why I haven't written_—_except that__ lately I've been too busy or too stressed_ _or both_—_to write you_._ And to be perfectly honest, I still am. _

_Everything's a mess, Diary. _

_It's crazy. __Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if I find myself questioning my very sanity once I reread this again. Now that I think about it, making an entry about __**this**__ may not be such a good idea. Scratch that, this is __**definitely**__ NOT a good idea. But here I am anyway—pen in hand—__being very, very innocent, writing with my eyes fixed on Jin-Jin up front. So if my handwriting is a bit illegible, you know why._

_Okay, let's start before my better judgment kicks in. _

_You remember Q.B., right? Yeah, there's no way you could forget about her. Anyway, we celebrated her sixteenth birthday last Saturday. That's right, Diary—"__**we**__"—in other words, __me__**and**__them__. Surprised? I'll be shocked if you aren't, because even I am surprised with myself. To be honest, until now, I'm still having a hard time believing that __**that night**__ really happened. I'm still hoping that it was just another nightmare of mine and that __**none**__ of __**those**__ really occurred. Unfortunately, that is not the case. _

_**The proofs of the masquerade remain. **_

_I am really trying to take this calmly, you know. Because there's no point in getting upset about it._

_But, really, how can I not be upset? After what has happened these past few days. . .tell me, how could I __**NOT **__be upset about this?_

_As if I don't have enough problems. I just don't see how much more I can be expected to take. I mean, apparently, it is not enough that. . ._

_**1.**__ I sneaked out to attend Q.B.'s party._

_**2.**__ My best friend sold me out to Luna._

_**3.**__ I got drunk. _

_**4.**__ Hotaru ditched me._

_**5.**__ In my attempt to find my best friend (who had already left the party grounds), I tripped and— _

_**6.**__ —bumped on that jerk I have been avoiding since fifth grade._

_**7.**__ Under the influence of alcohol, I flirted and danced with the jerk I mentioned in number 6. _

_**8.**__ A French guy kept on stalki_

_۞۞۞_

_Still Monday, now about 10:45 a.m., Free Period_

_Sorry. A little break back there because my __**oh-so-favorite**__ teacher, Jin-Jin, caught me. And you can probably guess that he was __**displeased**__. Well, writing journal entries isn't exactly something one should be doing during Algebra class. Nevertheless, he could've just called my attention by a simple "Ms. Sakura. On the board. Now." but nooo_, _Jin-Jin had to be an ass and __**actually**__ throw his __green__ whiteboard marker at me! He even started to read what I'd written out loud while I was solving the equation on the board. Fortunately, I managed to answer it correctly (studying in advance really pays off) and retrieve you before he got to the juicy parts. At any rate, let's be thankful that he decided to let me off with a warning and that he didn't confiscate you. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to spend the rest of the week inside his ratty drawer, now would you?_

_So where was I? Oh yeah. A__pparently, it is not enough that. . ._

_**9.**__ I was busted by the Queen Bee._

_**10. **__Under the influence of alcohol (again), I failed to realize that the French guy in number 8 was Ruka._

_**11.**__ Hyuuga managed to get my keys (and until now, I still don't know when he took it). _

_**12.**__ In exchange for my keys, Natsume wanted another dance. I refused and so—_

_**13.**__ —He kissed me._

_**14.**__ —And bit my neck._

_**15.**__ He said he'll figure out who I was before the mark disappears. _

_**16.**__ By the end of the night, Luna made me realize how stupid I was for showing up at her party._

_Oh, no. You see, all of that isn't enough of a burden. Because. . . _

_**17.**__ I got the wrong set of keys._

_**18.**__ I was locked out of my apartment with nothing but a dinner jacket to shield me from the cold. _

_And guess what happened in the morning? Yeah. I don't even want to relay the details. __Grandpa was absolutely hysterical. Like I said, we didn't have the __right__ keys to open the door, so not only was I locked out, Grandpa was also locked in. Just imagine the hell I've been through when our neighbors suddenly came to __help__. Honestly, I think they just made the situation worse. So yeah, aside from the 18 things I've written so far. . . _

_**19.**__ Our apartment now lacks a front door._

_**20.**__ Our neighbors think I've hooked up with some guy._

_**21.**__ Grandpa thinks I've hooked up with some guy._

_**22.**__ He is convinced that one, I've been dating guys behind his back; two, I have a boyfriend; and three, that the mark on my neck is a love bite._

_**23. **__I'm grounded (and forbidden to see this imaginary boyfriend of mine) until further notice. _

_School's no better. . . _

_**24. **__I had to wear a turtle neck (and endure the glaring sun) just to cover up the unsightly hickey on my neck. _

_**25.**__ Everyone was trying to find out who the mystery girl is. Translation: __Everyone was out to get me._

_**26.**__ They've been pestering Ruka to reveal who it is._

_**27.**__ Hotaru didn't come to school today._

_**28.**__ Hayami, the head of the News Department, somehow managed to cover __everything__ in the party. His article in the school paper was vexatiously detailed. _

_2__**9.**__ Pictures and videos of Hyuuga and I were circulating all over the net. _

_**30. **__Luna hasn't said a word about this and that alone freaks me out. _

_Okay I'm stopping right there. I can't talk about this anymore. It's too upsetting. I feel so confused and alone and scared. I'm really sorry, Diary. I know you're not used to having such awful things written here. But I just couldn't take it anymore. I haven't seen Hotaru since the party and I needed someone to hear me out. _

_۞۞۞_

_Monday, exactly 7:00 p.m., After dinner_

_Dear Diary,_

_Hotaru just called and I told her everything. She didn't apologize but she seemed sorry about what happened and that was enough for me._

_We weren't able to talk as much as we wanted. Nevertheless, Hotaru was able to calm me down. She is really amazing. While I was talking to her, it seemed like all the things have become negligible. The problems I'd been troubling myself with became nothing. To be honest, I feel stupid for troubling myself with them in the first place. Right now, I just feel like laughing them all off. _

_Inside, I feel like me again. _

_So Hotaru if you're reading this,—if you somehow manage to get your hands on my diary again,—I just want you to know how grateful I am for having you as my best friend. Thank you, Hotaru. Thank you for getting me back on my feet. You're really the bestest best friend in the whole wide world. _

_I love you, Hotaru. I really do. _

_۞۞۞_

_Tuesday, 2:53 a.m., Sitting on the toilet seat_

_I just had a dream about Hyuuga. I can't remember how it went exactly but I'm 100% sure that he was in it. And now I can't sleep. Because every time I close my eyes I see Hyuuga's face and the whole masquerade ball repeats itself in my head. _

_God, I've got to stop thinking about things like this._

_I've got to stop thinking about __him__. Period._

_I'd better try to get some sleep now. Grandpa will not like it if he finds out that I'm awake. And it would be best if I don't aggravate him any further._

_I'm going back to bed._

_۞۞۞_

_Tuesday, 3:21 p.m., Reserved Section, Library_

_Dear Diary,_

_I can't seem to concentrate very well today, so I might as well write you. _

_All day today I've been waiting for something to happen. You don't gatecrash to Q.B.'s party, get caught and then, expect nothing to happen. Luna just isn't like __**that**__. She may not always get mad, but she __always__ gets even. True, she did say she'll let me off this time but with the recent development in campus, I'm not sure if she'd really keep her word. I saw her reading the school paper yesterday and I could tell she wasn't pleased with how things turned out. I mean, come on! She was supposed to be the center of the gossip. Right now, everyone should be talking about how great her debut was or how fabulous she looked in the party. The spotlight should be on her, not me._

_I'm worried, Diary. The fact that she was acting like nothing happened, well, it's bugging me. I've been so used to having her bitch around every day and now that she isn't, I feel. . .oddly vigilant. It's like I always have to be on the lookout because the moment I let my guard down, Luna and her posse will be right behind me to chop my head off. Okaaay, so I was exaggerating, but do you really think she's okay with this? I mean, how do I know this isn't just some part of an evil master plan to reduce me to social rubble? I've already talked to Hotaru about this and she was confident that the Queen finds the situation just as inconvenient as I do. She assured me that Luna won't do anything to expose me because (according to Hotaru) that would fuel the fire. I'm not so sure if I understand what she meant by that. Nevertheless, I trust Hotaru's judgment._

_Everything will be alright. It will all work out. I can get through this.—I keep on telling myself that but. . ._

_. . .Why do I feel like I'm about to fall through a trap door and into a pit of fire?_

_

* * *

SeraphMia_

Gakuen Alice Reader's Choice Awards 2009: **Best Drama Fic** goes to. . . **Seducing the Seducer**!

*SeraphMia staggers up on stage, gets the trophy from the handsome emcee and faints*

Just kidding.

Yeah. I know that this is a bit late but **thank you so much** for nominating and voting for me in the GARCA '09. I still don't know how my story ended up in the Drama section (I recall being nominated for Romance) but at any rate, I am thankful for the award. I LOVE YOU ALL! **This chapter is dedicated to all those who reads and supports my stories**.

*clears throat* Moving on to the current chapter. Basically, what we have here is Mikan's journal. I've encountered a severe case of "plot bunnies" overload when I started writing this and I ended up with 18 pages in one sitting. When I reread it, however, I realized that they somehow lacked substance. Cutting them into 3 or 4 chapters wasn't such a good idea (especially when I promised a fast-paced arc). Moreover, the scenes felt like a drag of words to me and frankly, a bit boring in my perspective. I didn't like how it turned out to be a filler chapter. So I trashed it. I had a major writer's block after that and it wasn't until I read Princess Diaries that my muse finally came back. So if the style and format is a bit similar to Meg Cabot's, I sincerely apologize. I assure you that I didn't plagiarize it though. I just had to do something to compress all my plot bunnies and journal entries were the best option I had.

Anyhow, I'm keeping this short. Tell me, if I did okay. I'm expecting varied reactions for this chapter so just review and ask away. And yes, Natsume will make his move on the next chapter and you can rest assured that it won't be written as a journal entry.

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Evasions_"


	12. Evasions

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 12: "_Evasions_"-

_Things got better with each passing day. . ._

The rumors eventually died down and before I knew it, I was back to being Mikan Sakura—No mask. No make-up. No alcohol—Just plain book-loving Mikan who stirs away from Luna, Hyuuga, and the trouble that comes along with them. When I think about it, avoiding the three was surprisingly easy. The Queen Bee had been throwing condescending glances every now and then, but other than that, she never really approached me since the party. Hyuuga, on the other hand, had been MIA for quite some time now and from what I've heard, he started skipping classes again. For what reason, I don't know and I don't care. Some claimed they saw him hanging out with Ruka, others claimed he was out chasing skirts again; but when it all comes down to it, what he does is really none of my business. I'm just glad that I don't have to worry so much about running into the jerk. Besides, there are other—_more_ important—things that I'd have to deal with (like keeping my grades up, meeting the quota in my part-time job, getting our door fixed, etc.) and confronting Hyuuga is the last thing on my to-do list. Seriously, if it wasn't for the bruise on my neck, I would've probably forgotten about the whole 'Masquerade' incident by now. But as it is, the bruise hasn't completely faded and well, as weird and stupid as this might sound, his keys were still in my pocket. Please don't get the wrong idea. While it's true that I couldn't bring myself to just throw them away, it doesn't necessarily mean that I cherish his keys, right? He has mine so I figured it's only fair that I keep his. Like I said, it's not like I cherish them or anything. So, DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA. I mean, if possible, I would've already auctioned them to his deranged fan girls but uhm, well, aside from the fact that the idea is very much preposterous, something told me that I ought to keep them as close as possible. _That_ and I figured it would be troublesome if I left the keys at home and Grandpa accidentally found them. Anyway, those things aside, everything was pretty much like it used to be.

Yesterday was a particularly busy day at the diner. Miruku Umenomiya, a fellow part-timer, took a sick leave and so I was given more workload than usual. It was fine since the manager said he'd double my pay but I ended up taking an extra shift just to finish Miruku's chores. By the time I got home, the lights were out and Grandpa was already snoring. I knew that I should be off to bed too but for some reason, I was neither feeling tired nor sleepy. And so instead of getting some well-deserved shuteye, I decided to spend the night with my books. I'm not sure what time I dozed off but I woke up with a major headache at quarter to nine. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed sucked but waking up LATE on the wrong side of the bed ON A SCHOOL DAY sucked even more. By the time I reached Alice Academy, first period was already over. Next was Biology and I seriously considered ditching it over breakfast (which I forgot in my haste, by the way) but I decided against it. I already missed Algebra and missing another period would just make things worse. So, has much as I'd hate to, I'd just have to go and submit myself to an hour of sitting (and yawning), listening (and stomach grumbling), taking down notes (and yawning) and hoping that I don't fall asleep or faint in the middle of everything. My stomach would just have to wait.

Well_,_ no biggie. It's not as if it's the first time that something like this happened. Besides, it's just an hour. After that, I can finally go to the cafeteria, grab a cup of espresso and eat my packed lun—wait a minute. . .I WASN'T ABLE TO PREPARE ANY!

_Ugh. Think, Mikan. Think._

—I got it! I'll just borrow some money from Hotaru. She might throw in a high interest rate but I'll be getting my paycheck by the end of the week so I guess there's nothing to be afraid of. Right, that'll do!

But for now,

"Sorry, I'm late, Mr. Mis—"

I blinked. _He isn't here yet?_

I gave the class a quick double check and true enough, Mr. Misaki was nowhere in sight.

_Hmm, that's odd. It's already 11:04 a.m._

Scanning the room one last time and seeing that my classmates were all engrossed in their own worlds, I shrugged my backpack further onto my shoulder and made my way toward my usual seat in the second row.

"Good morning, Hotaru." I greeted, slinking into the chair beside her. "I was wondering if I can borr—"

"You missed first period." she cut in sharply, her tone cold and disapproving. "Are you really trying to provoke Mr. Jinno into failing you?"

"I'll apologize to Jin-Jin as soon as I can. So stop being mad, okay Hotaru?" When she didn't answer, I decided to link my arm with hers and lean my head on her shoulder. "I stayed up late last night and slept without setting the alarm clock and so—" I let out a little yawn "—well, you know what happened. I'm really sorry for making you worry."

I heard Hotaru grumble something that sounded like 'who said I was worried' before lifting a small purple notebook from her desk and—_OUCH!__**—**_"**WHY DID YOU HIT ME?**"

Hotaru didn't even react to my outburst. Instead, she meticulously dusted off her right shoulder (it's the one I just leaned my head on, that meanie!) and pulled out our Biology textbook to read. I nursed my throbbing forehead and glared at her but seeing that she remained unaffected, I redirected my glare at the stupid notebook that was lying (almost mockingly) on my desk.

"Those are the notes that you missed in class."

_Notes? _

My eyes widened when I finally registered what she meant. _Notes!_ I hastily opened the notebook and flipped through pages. Concepts, equations, formulas, and even sample problems, everything written in immaculate script. There was no mistaking it. This was today's math lesson and Hotaru took seven pages of notes for me. _Seven!_ The sheer thought of it made me want to cry and bombard the girl with hugs and kisses.

"Stop looking at me. You're being bothersome."

"Right. Sorry."

I smiled. For now, I'll settle with giving her notebook a sound kiss and a bear hug.

"Wake me up when Mr. Misaki arrives, okay?"

"Whatever."

My smile grew wider. "Thank you, Hotaru."

_You're the best._

* * *

"Mikan?" I heard someone call from my right. I lifted my head ever-so-slightly and turned to peek at whoever it was that might have called my name. I found no one so I resumed my earlier position, my cheek pressed against my forearms and my eyes closed once again.

. . ._so_ tired. . .

. . .so _tired_. . .

"Hey."

. . ._so tired_. . .

"Wake up."

_Just ignore it and go back to sleep. . ._

"Hey, ugly. Wake up." This time I felt a poke on my head.

_Just sleep._

**Poke**.

_Ignore it._

**Poke**.

**Poke**.

**Poke**.

_ENOUGH!_

**Poke.**

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU—" Who I saw not only made my jaw drop but also caused my elbow to slip off the table and myself to jolt back down to my desk. I raised my head again, this time getting up. "You. . .Youichi?" I asked incredulously, looking at the boy who was standing before me. "What are you doing here?"

He gave me a bland look, dishing out the same question in dull monotone.

I tilted my head to the side. _I don't get it._

"You're in my class, stupid."

Oh_. . . . .Oh!_

"I didn't know we're classmates." I smiled, standing on tiptoe to ruffle his taupe-colored hair. "You've gotten taller, You_-chan_." I mused, my smile widening at the sight of his flushed yet disgruntled face. "So. . .did you get accelerated again? Or are you taking up an advanced placement program?"

He rolled his eyes, looked away, grumbled under his breath, before glaring at me—_what did I do?_—and dropping his backpack on my desk. "Get out of my chair, ugly."

* * *

"I can't believe _THIS_!" I whipped my eyes to Hotaru's and glared. "I can't believe _YOU!_ WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP!" When she didn't reply, I slammed my palm on the lunch table. "Do you have any idea on how humiliating it was to have those 7th graders—may I just stress, SEVENTH GRADERS—laughing at me? It would've been much _much_ better if I was some random student because that way they just wouldn't care but the problem is I'm _not_. God! Those _kids _know me. They know I'm running for honors. Heck, they even know my _middle_ name. And having that damn _twerp_ kick me out of their classroom with his monotone _'Go be stupid somewhere else'_ is just so _so_. . .I can't even say it!"

"You're overreacting." Hotaru deadpanned, twisting a forkful of seafood pesto. "Can't you just be thankful that Hijiri cared enough to wake you up before their teacher arrived?"

I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance. "You're supposed to be on _my_ side, Hotaru. You're _my_ best friend and as my best friend you're supposed to say: _Don't worry, Mikan. I'll help you get back at those kids. We'll teach that little twerp a lesson he'll never forget._"

She snorted, "You're being immature."

"I AM NOT!" I snapped, dishing out a sharp glare. Hotaru merely shook her head and sighed before returning to her meal.

_Pig_.

"None of this would've happened if you just woke me up, you know." I argued, crossing my arms tight across my chest. "I told you to wake me up, didn't I? So why didn't you w—"

"I woke you up, dummy."

"R_iii_ght."

"We woke you up. You raised your head, told us to go ahead, and when we left, you slept again. Go ask Tobita, if you want, he'd tell you the same thing."

"Well, you could've at least tried har—"

"Can we _please_ move on?"

"Fine. Let's talk about something else." I mumbled, slumping against the back rest of the plastic chairs. "Tell me why you ditched me that night."

"We are not having this conversation, Mikan."

"Don't I deserve to know?" I saw her purse her lips, violet eyes narrowing at the food—and then flickering at me—as if she was deliberating between eating and answering my questions. I pouted and batted my lashes, in hopes of gaining her favor, but puppy eyes didn't work. She picked up her fork and ate. I groaned and cursed. "You promised you'd explain everything, Hotaru! EVERYTHING."

"Now is not a good time to talk about that night." she muttered and as if to show that she was dismissing the topic, she picked up a piece of garlic bread and took a sound bite. "Stop wasting your time and eat. Your food is getting cold."

"I'm not hungry." I swallowed thickly as I shoved my plate away, half-expecting my stomach to growl in protest.

Thankfully, it didn't.

Hotaru sighed, "I don't make a habit of buying people lunch so when I _do_, I _expect_ them to eat." she pushed my plate back and proceeded on polishing off what remained of her pesto. Grudgingly, I ate mine too. The lasagna, albeit still tasty, was already cold and the thought of not having the _oh_-_so_-_delicious_ mozzarella melt in my mouth just made me angrier_._ _I shouldn't have wasted my time with Hotaru_. I frowned and shoved another scrumptious bite into my mouth. _I don't get her._ I just want to understand why she left me back then._ Is it really that much of a bother to tell me? _

"You're not letting this go, are you?"

I shook my head and shoved two bread sticks into my mouth.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice." Hotaru heaved another sigh. "You're aware of the IMAI Corporation, right?"

I nodded, my eyes fixed on hers even as I drank my soda. IMAI is a public multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and innovative gadgets. "Why are you asking?"

"You want to know why I left the party, right?"

I smiled tentatively. "You're gonna tell me?"

Hotaru shrugged her shoulders and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin before she spoke again. "Well, I _did_ promise to explain everything." she muttered sourly, "And like you've said, you _deserve_ to know."

"You make it sound like a bad thing." I pouted, "I'm not forcing you to tell me, you know."

"It's fine. If the situation was reversed, I would've also throttled the answer out of you."

_Yikes_.

I gulped. "So, uhm, I'm guessing this has something do with the family business, huh."

"Pretty much." she shrugged and looked at me, "I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before but for the past few months, I've been helping father gain the favor of other companies."

_Ah, so that's why she'd been so busy._

"Well, just recently, I managed to close a deal with President Matsudaira of the Kamaitachi Enterprise." Hotaru inhaled softly, her eyes focused on the fork she fiddled between her fingers. "Everything was black-and-white as far as I'm concerned. All that's left was to prepare the contract and for Mr. Matsudaira to sign it." she breathed in again, "But then, Sakurano showed up in the party."

"Hotaru, this "Sakurano". . .was he the one I heard on the phone?"

Confusion clouded her face for a second or two and then, as if remembering, she nodded. "He informed me that the project did not push through; that one of the board members refused to sign the contract. Naturally, I contacted this person—in an attempt to change his mind and save the deal—but the guy was an airhead. Apparently, he thinks it's ridiculous to affiliate with a company that would be headed by a girl in the near future. He even had the guts to affront Subaru for pursuing a medical degree and forfeiting his claim on the Corporation." she paused all too suddenly, and I noticed that her hands were clenched rather tightly and that her knuckles were already turning white. "Turns out, the sexist airhead was the successor of Kamaitachi Enterprise."

"Were you able to fix things?" I asked, inwardly praying that she was able to do something about it.

"Somehow." Hotaru replied. She didn't look too happy about it though. "The moment the idiot saw me, he immediately latched on my arm and went 'Cool Blue Sky'."

_Cool Blue Sky? _"What the heck is Co—"

"Some second-in-command character from a lame TV series, _Bishoujo Warriors Five Color_." Hotaru muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "The airhead idolizes her."

"And so?"

"I look like her."

It took me a moment to process the words. "Let me get this straight. He signed the contract because you look like his—how should I phrase this—his favorite superhero?"

"Mikan, if I hear as much as a giggle, I swear I'm gonna kill you."

"I'm sorry, Hotaru." I struggled to keep my laugh from bursting out as I watched her eyes sharpen into slits. "It's just. . .I never thought that. . ." I leaned over the table, "Do you _really _look like her_?_"

Hotaru shot me a death glare before bringing out her custom-built IMAI™ tablet PC. She was typing furiously—eyes focused on the screen—and I concluded that this was her way of telling me that the conversation was over. Or so I thought. I was just about to return to my lunch when she suddenly twisted the monitor 180 degrees and on its display showed a slide show of a younger Hotaru clad in a blue sailor uniform. (She had a matching cape, too.)

"Cos-play?" I choked out, "I didn't know you were into cos—"

. . .

. . .

_Oh. _

_My. _

_God._

"Cool Blue Sky?" I stared, no, I _gaped_ at the picture in disbelief. "My god, you really look like her." The eyes were of a different color (they were azure) but aside from that, Cool Blue Sky was a splitting image of Hotaru. Heck, she even exudes the no-nonsense aura that Hotaru gives off.

I couldn't help it. I broke into hysterical giggles.

But mind you, it wasn't the fact that Hotaru was a dead ringer of a second-in-command sailor girl or the notion that an important business contract was saved thanks to childish fanaticism that had me laughing. No, it wasn't those things that had me in hysterics.

It was the thought of Hotaru spending time in researching all these that had me rolling in the aisles.

* * *

If morning classes had come and gone uneventfully, afternoon classes had dragged on even more.

I managed to get through History exam but the rest were pretty much a blur. All I can really remember was suppressing my yawns as the writings on the board dissolved into incomprehensible scribbles. Believe me, I tried to stay awake. I really did. But for some reason, it just wasn't working. I only found myself resting my eyes for a moment and the next thing I knew, Mr. Noda was telling me off for sleeping in his class. Same thing happened in Geography and whatever-it-was-I-had for fifth period. Weird thing was I knew that I should have felt chastened after getting caught by the teacher but I wasn't. I guess I just didn't have the energy to care. Heck, if it wasn't for the school bell—my personal alarm clock for the day—ringing, I bet I'd still be drooling on my book right now.

Anyway, classes were officially over for the day. And while most students filed and stampeded to the gates, I headed to the opposite direction. Yes, being the bibliophile that I was, I couldn't let a day pass without visiting the library. It wasn't a very long walk, only about ten minutes or so, but even that short distance had me feeling faint. (Must be from the lack of sleep.) As for the library itself, well, it's a library fit for Alice Academy. It's big, two-storied, fully air-conditioned, equipped with all-working state-of-the-art computers, and boasting of a book collection that can rival those of Harvard's. Well, that's what our librarian, Ms. Shizune Yamanouchi told me anyway. I have yet to set foot on the Harvard library but judging from the amount of books delivered here every day and the number of outsiders that come to research, it wasn't that hard to believe.

Going to the library is actually a ritual of mine. Every day, after classes, no matter how tired or busy I was, I head to the library. Usually, I come to do my homework. Occasionally, I borrow a book or two. But oftentimes, I just come here to unwind and bask in silence. Today was one of the "_oftentimes_". I just meandered along the maze of wooden shelves, enjoying the idea of having a thousand books surround me as I mindlessly skimmed through their titles. But my happiness was short-lived when I realized that someone was following me. Rather, following suit. He stopped walking when I stopped, browsed the book that I browsed, turned where I turned, all the while keeping a safe, three meter distance from where I was. I tried to shrug it off, telling myself that it may be coincidence. But a few more minutes of having him on my tail, mimicking everything I do, had my patience running thin. Annoyed, I decided to turn around and confront him. He was currently facing the shelf and flipping through the pages of **Through the Looking Glass**_, _a Lewis Carroll classic, which _coincidentally_ was the book I pulled out a moment ago. I couldn't clearly see his face without my glasses (I'm nearsighted), but even with my blurry vision, I could still make out his profile: golden hair, green polo shirt, dark-wash jeans.

An outsider? Or a student?

Not that it mattered.

Squaring my chest, I approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but is there any particular reason as to why you're imitating me for the past ten minutes?"

He closed the book with a sound thump before slowly peering over his shoulder, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Ruka!" I shrieked. I started laughing wildly, out of relief and joy, and I found that he, too, was laughing along with me. Without thinking, I reached up and wrapped my arms around him, pulling myself to him in a fierce hug. The laughter between us died almost instantly and I could feel myself heat up immensely as we broke apart.

I cleared my throat. "Seriously, Ruka. You could've just approached me. For a moment there, I really thought you were some creepy stalker."

"_Eh bien_, _pardon_. (Well, I'm sorry)." he replied, returning **Through** **the Looking Glass** to the shelf. "It's just, you seemed so absorbed in what you were doing; I didn't want to disturb you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That doesn't explain the stalking and the follow suit."

"_Pardon, pardon._" he apologized in between chuckles. "I was just curious. I wanted to know what got you in such _joie de vivr_e (high spirits)."

I wasn't convinced. "Seriously, Ruka. Why are you here?"

"Honestly?"

I nodded.

"Well, I wanted to see how you're doing." he said, sounding much more unsure and much less joking the earlier. "_Comment allez-vous?_" (How are you?)

It took me a moment to realize what Ruka was referring to, but I snapped out of the confusion and engaged in a small conversation about how life was after the ill-fated masquerade ball. He kept on asking me questions and we eventually ended up talking about my day today. He wasn't too happy to hear about it though.

"_Bien, _Ruka_. Tu n'as absolument aucune raison de t'inquiéter. _(I'm fine, Ruka. You have no reason whatever to worry.) Like you've said, I'm in _joie de vivre._" I mumbled, mindlessly browsing through the shelf as I spoke. "_Quelque chose d'autre?_" (Anything else?)

"I'm not sure if I want to tell you."

_Oh_, so there _is_ something else. I smiled expectantly. "_Qu'est-ce qu'il y a?" _(What is it?)

He took a deep breath before answering. "Natsume is interested in you."

My stomach plummeted as the words echoed inside my head and the fine hairs on the back of my neck rose straight up in attention—_I wasn't expecting that. I wasn't expecting that at all—_My eyes flickered to his but I glanced away as soon as I saw his expression. Too serious, too unreadable, too. . .everything. It was as if he was gauging my reaction. And I didn't understand why. I decided to laugh it off. "He's interested in _that_ girl. Not me. Vast difference, Ruka."

"Sakura, I think he knows it's you." he said with a conviction that baffled me.

_But that's just impossible._

I scratched my head, then changed the action to rub my temples. My headache had come back, worse than ever.

_It's ridiculous._

I gave out another nervous laugh._ "Qu'est-ce qui t'a donné cette idée?" _(Whatever gave you that idea?)

The answer came faster and harder than I had expected. "He's not doing anything."

I gulped, "Isn't that a good thing?"

He shook his head. "_Tu ne comprends pas, _Sakura_. _(You don't understand, Sakura.) Natsume doesn't like being kept in the dark. He doesn't like. . .not being in control. And the fact that he isn't doing anything now could only mean two things. _Un _(One), he is planning something. _Deux _(Two), he already has everything figured out." he paused and looked at me—and I didn't know why but for some reason, I couldn't breathe—and then, "_Pour être sincère,_ _je n'aurais pas été aussi en inquiète si pas _Natsume_. . ._" (To be honest, I would not have been so worried if Natsume didn't. . .)

_Didn't what?_

A moment passed and he still didn't say anything. My curiosity, not to mention subsequent anxiety, was mounting when finally Ruka spoke, _"Où en es-tu avec lui?"_ (How did you leave things with him?)

"What do you mean?"

"At that time, in the car, when I asked you about it, you told me that nothing happened. . .that you and Natsume just talked." he answered faintly. I saw him hesitate for a moment and then, in a kind of strained voice he asked, "Sakura, _q__u'est-ce qu'il a dit? _(What did he say?) What was the last thing that Natsume say to you?"

I literally could not formulate words, "Um, the last thing that he said. . ."

_**That mark should take a few days to heal and that should give me more than enough time to discover who you are.**_

I bit my lip, "I don't remember—" _I can't tell you._

_**I'll have your name before that mark disappears.**_

"—but I'm sure it's nothing important." _I'm sorry. _

Ruka was quiet for a moment and in that silence I braced myself, knowing that anything he says now would just make things harder.

"You've changed."

I opened my mouth to speak but set my jaw. I didn't know how to reply to that. I'm not even sure if I understand what he meant.

He sighed. Long and hard. I tensed when he glanced at me. "_Peu importe._" (Never mind.) he muttered, sounding much more troubled than the way he'd been before. "_Soyez prudent." _(Just be careful.)

"I will." I said, looking down at my feet. I couldn't bear whatever expression Ruka had—whether it was worry, frustration or disappointment, I couldn't take it. My eyes still on the floor, I saw his shadow move toward me and before I even realized it, I took a step back. I didn't get it _all._ I closed my eyes, my heart beating a million times per seconds as I felt his shoulder brush past mine.

_. . .He's walking away._

**Ruka's walking away!**

"Wait!"

Truth was, at that moment, I didn't know what I was planning to say or why I was running after him. I was just hoping for some plausible excuse to slip out of my mouth and stop him from leaving. But before I could even mutter a syllable, something happened. I only managed to take three more steps before the world exploded inside my head and my knees buckled. My shoulder banged painfully into the corner of a bookcase as I turned, but it was nothing compared to the burning heat that suddenly swept up my skin. My whole body trembled and I broke into cold sweats.

"Ru. . ."

My eyes fluttered to a close and I fell forward—

_Ruka._

"Hey!"

_Don't leave._

—but a pair of arms was there to catch me so I didn't hit the floor.

"I'm sorry. . ." I murmured against his shoulder, feeling my heart flutter in my chest as his arms tightened around me. I knew how much of a bad idea it was to continue on thinking about how good it could've been between us. . .but still, I just couldn't stop myself from hoping. "Ruka, I'm sorry. . ."

And with that, everything faded into black.

* * *

_SeraphMia_

Uh, please don't kill me.

I know that I deserve some spanking for my vanishing act and I'm pretty sure that anything I say now will just be taken as excuses so I won't even bother explaining myself. But rest assured that you're not the only one who's frustrated with the late update, for I am very much frustrated too.

I was supposed to update Chapter 12 last June (I'm sorry, **Annyxoxo, **I didn't mean to disappoint you back then) but something bad happened (which involved a virus and a flash disk and oops! I'm not gonna elaborate). Anyway, this chapter is really tricky, if I may say, it kept evolving and evolving. I wanted to update this last November 4 (Do you know why? ;D), but I still wasn't satisfied with it so I had to re-edit. But, finally, it's here. So, let's rejoice!

Moving on. . .

As you can see, this chapter gives you a glimpse of Mikan's everyday life. I've encountered someone who questioned Mikan's capacity to be a scholar (stating that canon Mikan is an idiot and such) and if some of you are thinking the same, then here's my say on it. First of all, Mikan is a very determined person. As we've seen in the anime and the manga, she's stubborn and once she set her mind on something, she gives her all to accomplish it. And judging from Episode 21 where they took exams (especially the latter part of it), I can see that she isn't really as academically-challenged as most people seem to believe. Lastly, being a scholar doesn't necessarily mean you're the top student of your batch, all that's required is that you maintain a certain grade. So yes, for this story, Mikan Sakura is one of the scholars of the Alice Academy. She is consistent on the honor roll but is nowhere near the top spot, okay?

Oh yeah, another point here. As of the moment, Ruka isn't attending Alice Academy, okay? I didn't want to make him that clichéd exchange or transfer student because he can very much play his role even if he isn't one. So if you're wondering why he in the school's library, that's because he's visiting and yeah, he wanted to see dear Mikan.

Hmm, what else to day. Oh! Haha. In case you're wondering, I didn't just throw in random GA characters for the cameo roles. It's actually *cough* well thought off.

I put Miruku a.k.a Milk—Anna calls her Onee-chan so I dubbed her as an Umenomiya—as Mikan's co-worker to somehow help you imagine on how they dress like in the diner (see Haunted House episode for reference).

Youichi here is not a 3-year-old. I'm using his 13-year-old (as seen in Chapter 58 of the manga). And yes, he'll play a vital part in this story—that's partly the reason why I introduced him—and his role is quite endearing, if I may say. Just you wait.

As for the members of the student council, well, they're not GA students anymore (Mikan's 15 here, so they're like in their mid-20s). The cameo roles I gave them are actually based on their Alices. Subaru Imai [Healing Alice] is a doctor. Shizune Yamanouchi [Sound Alice] is a librarian. And Shuuichi Sakurano [Teleportation, Intuition, and Wish/Psychokinesis] works for the IMAI Corp. Sakurano was at the party to begin with, mingling with the elites (keep in mind that the Koizumis are filthy rich) and obviously, he received the news (regarding the contract) earlier than Hotaru. You can probably say that he is Hotaru's competition. Given that he is the best friend of Subaru, the supposed successor of the corporation, and that he was a Student Council President, I really think administrative tasks would suit him. Too bad for Hotaru, ne?

And yes, Hayate Matsudaira and the Kamaitachi Enterprise. Well, I'm just making it a point to give Hotaru some *cough*love*cough*problems*cough*. Truth is, at the time when I was writing about Hotaru's "early departure", I wasn't really thinking of a concrete reason as to why she left. Mainly, I just wanted her to leave because it was necessary for the story to progress. (Like I said before, unlike my previous story, STS is a bit spontaneous; I write whatever comes to mind). But after the curious responses and assumptions regarding her real agenda, I just had to come up with an explanation. And yeah, I instantly thought of Hayate. I've come up with a lot of scenarios (all of them hilarious) but after some brainstorming, I decided to go with this. Haha. Oh yeah, Kamaitachi means "Wind User". I think it's Hayate's underground alias. (you know, just like Kuro Neko/"Black Cat" for Natsume)

Lastly, like I promised, this chapter is dedicated to **Sarah (The Hopeless Wanderlust)** and **Marie (Innocent's Sorrow)** for being the sweetest readers I've ever stumbled upon. You don't know how much I appreciate your efforts in reviewing every chapter. Heaven knows that I don't have the patience to do that. So *group hug* and kudos to you!

P.S. I told you that STS will be fast-paced, and hell, the next chapter is quite a turning point. Hopefully, your patience and my muse lasts 'til then. Haha. Who wants spoilers? XD

Updates: A few has asked me to create a Facebook Account for FF buddies. Do you really think I should? I'll create one if the demand of it increases. So please do tell me.

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Prevarications_"


	13. Prevarications

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 13: "_Prevarications_"-

I woke up with my mouth dry, my head pounding and my eyes blinded by a bright, white light. My whole body felt like it was being pricked by thousands of needles and when I tried to move, the sensation only got magnified tenfold. The pain had thankfully subsided after a minute or two but even so, I still found it difficult to move a muscle. My limbs felt heavy and weak and sore all at the same time.

_What happened?_

I looked around for any distinguishing details that might clarify what, exactly, had happened since the last thing I remembered was the library.

There was not much to see. Everywhere I looked was white.

The bed I had been lying on was covered with white sheets and surrounding its perimeter were white curtains. Glancing down, I see polished white tiles. Looking up, I see the ceiling, just as white as the floor, a fluorescent lamp situated at its center. Vaguely, I could hear the ticking of a clock and the soft whirring of an air-conditioner somewhere to my left.

_...Definitely not the library._

With a groan and a boatload of effort, I managed to roll over to my side. My brain felt like it has been dislodged with the sudden movement and everything in my sight looked disproportionate. It was kind of funny except that it brought about an overwhelming urge to hurl.

_Not good..._

I lifted an arm to reach for the curtains and had almost managed to grab hold of the draping fabric, when the curtains were suddenly ripped aside. I was startled but I didn't have the energy to scream or recoil my hand. So there I was, frozen, my hand reaching out to a silhouette of a boy standing beside the bed.

_Who-? Ruka?_

I squinted. The light overhead made it impossible for me to see his face.

"She's awake."

The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose and goose bumps blossomed up my arms in recognition. _That voice._ . .It was familiar, unnervingly so, but it lacked the foreign accent to be Ruka.

_Whose is it?_

There was a shuffling of feet and when my vision cleared, I was surprised to see Hotaru's brother in front of me.

_Subaru Imai_. I sighed a little, sinking into pillow. _So it was him. _"Where am I?"

"You're in Central's General Hospital."

_Hospital? _I snapped my spine straight at realization. Well, this place certainly looks like a hospital but, "How...I was- I'm at school...the library...and—Central town... why am I...?"

"Calm down." His hands closed over each of my shoulders and pushed me back to bed. And before I could even utter another word, a nurse was beside me, a thermometer was placed in my mouth, and a sphygmomanometer was cuffed around my upper arm. Closing my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh in resignation.

"Your body temp. has gone down but your B.P. is still low." I heard the nurse say. "How does your shoulder feel?"

_My shoulder?_ I blinked, noticing only now that my right shoulder was seriously bruised. "It hurts." I blurted out (because it _did_ hurt), "But it's manageable." I quickly amended, realizing that Subaru—Dr. Imai—has been jotting down everything in my medical record. The nurse sent me a knowing smile and handed me some painkillers plus a glass of water to chug it down.

"Do you remember where you hit your shoulder?" she asked in a tone that reminded me so much of my mother. "Was it a bookshelf?"

"Uhm, yes, I think it was a shelf."

"I guess that was obvious." Dr. Imai replied, putting down his pen. "After all, you did collapse in a library."

"That reminds me," I passed the empty glass and thanked the nurse before asking, "Why wasn't I brought to the infirmary again?"

"Well, office hours were over and your school nurse was already out. . ."

Oh, right. It was starting to make sense now. So Ruka probably brought me here.

". . .was a good thing that Natsume was there to—"

"_Natsume_?" My heart did a double back flip when I said his name. Wait. Don't tell me. "You mean Natsume Hyuuga?"

Dr. Imai gave me a curt nod. "Apparently, he was there when you fainted. . ."

_What. The. Hell? _I was pretty sure it was Ruka who caught me when I fell. Does this mean that it was Hy—_NO. _Just _no_. I would not even dare think about it.

". . .ppoinment to begin with, so he brought you along. . ."

Why was he in the _library_ in the first place? I find it hard to believe that someone like him would actually think of borrowing a book. Or returning one, for that matter.

". . .ve tried contacting your house but the phone was unatte. . ."

Besides, why in the world would that guy help me? He practically _loathes_ me.

". . .else we can call? I don't think you're well enough to go on yo. . ."

Unless. . .

"_**Sakura, I think he knows it's you."**_

No, no, no. That _can't_ be right. We've already established that it's impossible. There's _absolutely_ no way that he could've seen the mark. I had been so careful in covering it up and that guy didn't even get the chance to approach me after that night. He had been cutting classes and—

". . .Ms. Sakura, I know that you are not feeling well but please pay attention."

I felt my face instantly burn once the words registered, and I stammered, "Ah, ah. . .uhm, y-yes. Of course. Sorry." _How embarrassing. _

"As I was saying," Dr. Imai continued in a louder voice, very much like Jin-Jin when his lecture was interrupted. "It's raining quite heavily outside. It'll be difficult for you to call a cab and even much more difficult to go on foot. As your doctor, I'm afraid I can't discharge you knowing that you'll be commuting on your own. So, is there any way that your guardian could come here and fetch you?"

I shook my head. _Actually, I don't want Grandpa to know about this._ "You see, I'm living with my grandfather and it's not really wise to ask him to do that."

_I don't want him to worry. _

"Indeed. How about your neighbors? Friends?"

"Uhm, well, is Hotaru here?"

There was a brief pause. "You know my sister?"

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Uhm, yes. She _is_ my best friend." Surely, Hotaru has mentioned me before, right?

There was another pause, a little longer than the last, before he cleared his throat. "I see." he muttered, narrowing violet eyes at me. I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Unfortunately, my sister is not here as of the moment. Shall I call her?" he asked, pulling out his phone.

"Ah, _no, no, no_." I shook my head. "I wouldn't want to trouble Hotaru."

"But you said you're best friends, right?" He seemed vaguely amused. I gave him a reluctant nod. "Then driving you home shouldn't be a problem. She _shouldn't_ mind." he said, already dialing Hotaru's number.

"W-w-wait! Suba- I mean, Dr. Imai, please don't." I pulled myself upright and grounded my feet on the floor. I knew I'd probably stumble over (or vomit) if I stand, so I didn't; and I couldn't really move my arms so snatching the phone away was out of the question (and not to mention, rude); and thus, I settled with words. Unfortunately, all of them fell on deaf ears. Desperate, I looked around for help and my eyes were instantly drawn to Hyuuga—_Was he there for the whole time?—_who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and looking straight at us with an unreadable look on his face.

"Finally, you picked up."

_Hotaru picked up?_

"We have a situation here at the hospital. You se—"

"HYUUGA CAN DRIVE ME HOME!" I blurted out, and horrified, I immediately clamped my mouth shut. The heat which flared my face was automatic as well.

_Someone. Just. Kill. Me. Now._

"I- I mean- Hyuuga. . .he, he's already here and- and so. . ." I felt my cheeks burn even more when I saw Dr. Imai raise both his eyebrows. The nurse, on the other hand, was looking at me confusedly and oh god, I didn't even want to look at the door.

_Please kill me now. I honestly don't mind._

"I'll call you back." The phone was flipped shut and I almost flinched at the thought of Hotaru's expression. Dr. Imai adjusted his glasses and turned at the door. "So Natsume, what do you think?"

At the corner of my eyes, I saw Hyuuga put his hands inside his pockets before moving as if to leave. "Let's go."

* * *

The ride home was _surprisingly_ quiet. I was expecting to be blown away by blaring music but the stereo was turned off. It was quiet—almost silent—if not for the soft pitter patter of the rain. The only reminiscent of a conversation I had with Hyuuga was when he asked for my address. After that, he pretty much kept his eyes on the road and _surprisingly _(yet again), he was driving slowly. And I mean slow like 10-mph-slow.

I know, I know. I ought to be spanked for stereotyping. But really now, could you blame me? From the many books I've read and the handful of movies I've watched, guys like him—you know, the bad boy archetypes, the players, the jocks (call them whatever you like)—had always been depicted as reckless drivers. They're those who brag about the number of cars they've collected, those who find thrill in driving fast, and those who are bold enough to defy speed limits and traffic signs when they don't even have a driver's license to begin with. And to be honest, I was so ready to scream '_Slow down, you'll turn us into a Volvo pretzel around that tree trunk_!' just like Bella did back then with Edward. But then again, Hyuuga was already driving slowly and his car was not a shiny silver Volvo. I don't really recognize this model but rest assured that it's nothing like Rosalie's ostentatious BMW. Suffice to say, Hyuuga's car is surprisingly mediocre.

Anyway, the trip was going on a snail's pace. Granted, we encountered heavy traffic at Fifth Avenue and the road was slippery due to rain, but it's been an hour already and we're still far away from home. It makes me wonder if Hyuuga was driving slowly out of consideration or he's dragging this on purpose to grate on my nerves. Nonetheless, I am thankful. Though I want to get home (and get away from him) as soon as possible, I would most likely throw up if we were to go any faster. So yes, I'm very much thankful to Hyu—Hotaru's brother! Yes, to Dr. Imai, for uhm, suggesting that someone drive me home. And, uhm, I'm also glad that Hyuuga hadn't made an attempt to start a conversation. It gave me the privilege to just huddle against the car seat, close my eyes, and sleep. Until my phone rang, that is.

"Hello?"

"_What on earth did you get yourself into?"_

I winced at the cold edge to her voice and squeezed my eyes tighter. "Hotaru, I'm sorry for troubli—"

"_You idiot." _she cut in, voice stern and words clipped._ "Didn't I tell you to go home right after class?"_

I bit my lip and nodded.

"_Answer me._"

"Y-Yes. . .you did."

"_Then, what, pray tell, were you doing in the library?_"

"I was. . ." I breathed slowly, trying to think through the panic. I can't just tell her about Ruka, now can I? _No,_ not when I'm sitting right next to Hyuuga. I let out a weak laugh. "It was stupid. We'll talk about it some other time, okay."

There was a long pause. _"Are you still with Hyuuga?" _she asked, evidently annoyed by the idea. And before I could even answer, she dished out another question. "_Does he know?_"

I felt myself freeze. "Uh, um. . .no. At least, I don't think so."

Hotaru was silent on the other line. I expected her to go off about something and help ease my confused mind, but she said nothing and that plunged me deeper into anxiety.

"Hotaru?" I gripped the small device closer to my ear. "Are you still there?"

"_Mikan_."

I squeaked. "What is it?"

"_You do realize that he is going out of his way to drive you home, don't you?_" There was a pause where my breath hitched and Hotaru let out a sigh, "_Hyuuga's clearly up to something. Try to act normally but don't let your guard down._"

* * *

Hotaru was right. Hyuuga was clearly up to something.

Because instead of just dropping me off my apartment building and zooming away, he actually eased his car up the drenched driveway, killed the engine, and stepped out. I know Hotaru told me to keep my guard up but I was so startled to see Hyuuga run off to my side that it took me a minute to realize that he had opened the door for me and already took my backpack. It took me a second later to realize that he was wet and that it was still raining and that I could see what he had underneath that white shirt of his. . .

...Uhm, forget about the last part, okay.

Basically, Hyuuga offered to walk me home. And I just couldn't refuse, seeing that he already has my backpack with him which I obviously can't carry on my own. Not when I'm holding an umbrella anyway. And definitely not with my shoulder injury. So, despite of Hotaru's warning and that insistent nagging at the back of my mind, I just went with the flow. I may not be comfortable with sharing my umbrella with Hyuuga (or the idea of a guy walking me to the door) and he may have something up his sleeves but I'm not about to let him walk into the pouring rain. I owe him that much, considering all the trouble that I've caused today.

"Here we are. Home sweet home." I muttered, a bit breathless from walking that short of a distance. Clearly, I haven't fully recovered yet. Sighing, I went through the tedious series of locks and deadbolts. I gave Hyuuga a sideward glance to gauge his reaction and thankfully, he had the decency not to say anything about our makeshift door. Well, I would've probably chastised him if he dared to say something offensive. After all, he _is _the reason why my front door looks the way it looks right now.

"Oh, it's Mikan."

Hyuuga and I simultaneously whipped our heads to the sound of the whispering. A woman in her early sixties was standing at the apartment unit next to mine. It was Mrs. Takahashi. "Tough day at school, pumpkin?" she asked, smiling warmly at us.

"Just a tad." I replied, positively beaming. Being alone with Hyuuga was sorta nerve-wracking. I'm just glad that someone else was here.

"Is he your boyfriend, dear?"

...Okay, I take that back.

"No, no, no. You're making a huge misunderstanding here, Mrs. Takahashi." I motioned frantically between Hyuuga and his car. Already, a small area at the back of my head was beginning to throb. "He was just dropping me off."

"Oh, how sweet of you, boy." She looked like she wanted to give him a pat or something. I couldn't help but groan. _Me and Hyuuga?_ I cringed. We can hardly be classified as friends and having a boyfriend is something I wouldn't touch with a ten-meter pole. _Ugh_. Just because he happened to drive me home and walk me to my door doesn't mean that we're. . .that we are—IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. PERIOD. Like I said, Hyuuga was just dropping me off. It's nothing special and—"You're beet red, pumpkin." Mrs. Takahashi said, stifling a laugh.

I hastily put my hands on my cheeks and was horrified to feel the definite heat on my face. "That's because you're embarrassing me." I reasoned, pouting a bit.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, child. I actually think you two look good together."

My jaw dropped and the heat spread down my neck._ What the- _"We certainly _do_ _not!_"

Mrs. Takahashi waved me off and focused her bleary eyes toward Hyuuga. "You're lucky that her old man isn't here, son. If he were, I'm sure he would've beaten you off with his woode—"

"Wait, Grandpa isn't here?"

"It's the fifteenth, Mikan. Your Grandpa always goes out with Mr. Abe during the fifteenth of the month. Did you forget about it, dear?" she asked, raising what remained of her thinning brows.

"Uhm, yes. It sort of slipped off my mind." I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose and willing my headache to subside. _Grandpa's out drinking again, huh._

"With this kind of weather, your Grandpa will probably stay at the Abe's tonight." Her face wrinkled into a sheepish smile. "You don't need to wait for him so do get some rest, okay, pumpkin?"

I gave her a nod. "I will."

"Good, good. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone then." Mrs. Takahashi turned just in time for her husband to appear. Mr. Takahashi shot us with amused apologetic looks (and I had a feeling he was listening the whole time) before gently pulling his wife inside their apartment.

_Lovebirds,_ I cringed at the word.

"Sorry about that, Hyuuga." I mumbled, fighting the blush off my cheeks as I fiddled with the last deadlock and opened the door. "I'll clear this up with Mrs. Takashi some other time, okay."

He passed on my backpack. "Yeah, well, good luck on that."

His reply almost made me laugh.

"I'll give it my best shot." I slapped my hand against the wall for the light switch. "Anyway, this may sound a bit repetitive but for all it's worth, thank you for taking me to the hospital, thank you for driving me home, and thank you for walking me to the door." I told him, offering the best smile I could muster. My hand on the knob, all I had to do was say '_Goodnight',_ close the door and the day would be over.

But I couldn't. Staring at him and the rain falling relentlessly behind him, I just couldn't.

_Should I tell him to stay?_

Hyuuga turned to walk away and the next thing I knew, I was staring down at my hand, wondering what possessed it to reach out and grab hold of his shirt.

He peered over his shoulder, "What is it?"

I coughed awkwardly and slowly retracted my fingers from his shirt. "You're wet." I muttered, carelessly wiping my hand on my jeans. "You..." I sucked in a deep breath and smiled uncertainly. "You can dry yourself up inside."

Hyuuga looked at me for a long moment, during which I felt myself sway. The intensity of his gaze wasn't going too well with me, and the fact that I was reacting to his boyish charms was just too—

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, snapping me out thoughts. "Inviting me in, you sure it's a good idea?" he pressed on, an almost smirk touching his lips.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. _Was he suggesting that it's a bad idea?_

"What's up with that question?" I tilted my head to one side. "Don't you want to dry yourself up first? You'll get your car wet, too, you know."

He smirked, probably at my expression and then, he shrugged. "I don't really care about that." he folded his arms in front of him and leaned against the doorframe, "So, I take it you're still inviting me in...?"

"Well, Grandpa isn't here so there's really no one I could ask permission from." I pursed my lip and thought for a while. Grandpa is probably drunk already so calling him now would do me no good. "It's not like you're staying here for the night anyway. You'll only be here for a few minutes—an hour at most—and I don't think you're stupid enough to try anything funny considering that Mrs. Takahashi can easily pinpoint you and hold you responsible if something does happen." I reminded him. Then, I made a grand sweeping gesture with my free hand, pointing toward the bathroom door. "Hurry up and grab a towel. My conscience won't be able to take it if you got sick because me."

Hyuuga shook his head, a half smile half smirk gracing his face as he ran a hand through his damp hair. "You really are too innocent." he drawled, stepping inside.

_Innocent? _I blinked, utterly stupefied. _Where did that come from?_

But before I could further contemplate on the word, my phone started vibrating with an incoming call. I fished out my cell from my pocket and waited for Hyuuga to get in the bathroom before clicking the answer button.

"Hello."

"_Sakura?_"

"Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

There was a pause. _"It's Ruka."_

I sucked in a breath of surprise before I clamped my lips shut, scared that my voice would betray me if I spoke. There was so much I wanted to say to him but I knew that once I start, I wouldn't be able to stop. I'm already feeling a bit lightheaded as it is and the last thing I would want is to blabber in front of Ruka and to risk having Hyuuga eavesdrop to our conversation. I'll explain everything when the time and place is right. I'll apologize for lying and keeping secrets. For now, I'll just—"Why did you call?"

"_Sakura..." _

I raised an eyebrow at his tone. He sounded exasperated. "What is it?"

"_Is Natsume there with you?"_

I felt my heart stop and I almost dropped my phone in shock. _He knew-?_ I could feel my clammy fingers shaking as I clasped the phone with both hands. _Did Hotaru tell him?_ I bit my lip and paced, unsure of what to say or do. Every attempt to open my mouth set off a lurch in my stomach. _Should I tell him that Hyuuga left already?_ My throat constricted at the thought of lying. A full-blown migraine washed over me and sweat beaded at my temples, despite the cold weather. _What should I do?_ My panic intensified when I heard the bathroom door open.

"He's here."

The words slipped out before I could stop them because they were meant for my ears alone. Hyuuga cocked his head to the side, obviously intrigued on who I was talking to.

"_Can you put him on?" _I heard Ruka ask. _"Please_."

Briefly, I wondered what would happen if I hung up on him, but in the end, I handed my cell over to Hyuuga. "Ruka wants to talk to you."

I didn't want to hear whatever it is that they would be talking about so I bolted down the hall and confined myself in my bedroom. Thinking about it, maybe I shouldn't have. Hotaru told me to act normally. And if Ruka was right—if I'm already under suspicion of being the girl from the masquerade ball—then storming off like that. . .

. . .Whatever, I don't care anymore.

All I wanted to do now was to collapse on the bed, pull the sheets around me, sleep, and finally be able to block out everything that had happened since I'd woken up this morning. And so I climbed into my bed—exhausted both physically and emotionally—and I stayed there, quite still, for a while, just trying to collect my thoughts. I was too confused, too worn out, too tired and when I closed my eyes—still trying to make sense of the world—somewhere in the middle of it all, I gave in to sleep.

* * *

I woke up. I'm not sure why but I just did. My eyes still closed, I tried to go back to sleep but I just couldn't. Something was. . .well, not exactly wrong, but different. There was a feeling of dampness all over my arms and legs, and something wet and soft resting on my forehead. It was cold and it felt nice against my skin.

I groaned and shifted on my bed. My alarm clock read 1:43 AM. "What's happening?"

"You're burning up."

_That voice._

I squinted, just to make sure it was who I think it was.

"Hyuuga?" Another groan. _What the he-?_ _Why is he sti-?_ Shit. "Get out of my room, you perv."

He smirked and I responded with a glare. He didn't see it though. He was too busy pressing two fingers on my wrist while those crimson eyes of his constantly shifted from my hand to his watch and. . .wait a minute, he. . .

"You're checking my pulse?" I muttered in disbelief, jerking my hand away. _Ugh_, I think I'm going into delirium.

"Where do you keep your meds?"

Yep. I'm _definitely_ delirious. I scoffed, "Oh, so you're a doctor now?"

He ignored my sarcasm and repeated the question. I ignored him and pretended to sleep.

I heard him sigh. "You're sick. Just tell me—"

"Quiet, I'm sleeping."

"Don't be stupid. Tell me where they are."

"_Shh!_"

"Would you rather I call for an ambulance?"

_Ugh. _How annoying.

"Fine! I'll get it myself." I snapped my spine straight and moved my legs to the side of the bed. I heard Hyuuga curse and swear before his hands moved to grab my arms which I vehemently yanked away. "I _said_ I'll get it myself." I repeated, adding a glare for good measure. Not that he was intimidated, he merely snarled back at me. But he let go anyway. And I smiled at that. Only as soon as I stepped on the floor, everything slanted off to one side.

**THUMP!**

I hid my groan and swallowed the bile that rose up my throat. I glared at the floor, asking it what I ever did to deserve this, before sighing and trying to get back on my feet. In my rush to stand up, I set my right foot wrong and would have flopped down on my face again if Hyuuga hadn't caught me by the waist. And I know I should be thankful for that but. . .

"DON'T TOUCH ME! STOP TOUCHING ME!"

. . .I just snapped.

Mood swings, I know. But I was sick. My shoulder hurt. My head hurt. My throat ached. My stomach ached. Heck, even my eyes hurt. And his presence was making me feel worse.

"LET GO, LET GO, LET GO!" I hardly recognized my own voice. I was making small whimpers in between my screams and I sounded so violent yet so weak and so _so_ pathetic, and hearing myself just made my temper flare all the more. The world was spinning and I could barely lift my eyelids, let alone walk, but I managed to shift away from him. My hip collided with the hard edge of my study desk and I felt my hands knocked over a few books and then something cold and wet.

There was a splash of water. . .

Hyuuga swearing. . .

Then, he was in front of me, hoisting me up from the floor.

I heard him speak, yell, and curse but his words didn't register. At the back of my mind, I detected his anxiety and irritation but the thoughts didn't click and most importantly, I simply didn't care.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?"

I scoffed and glared. I could ask him the same thing.

_What the hell does he think he's doing? _

"Let go of me, Hyuuga." I hissed at him, mortified that my voice wasn't quite steady. "I can stand on my own."

"The hell you can." He bit out, equally pissed. His hold on me tightened as I struggled. "Damn it, Sakura. Can't you see that I'm just trying to help here?"

I thought about it for a second.

But even as my mind processed the circumstance and concluded that what he was doing was indeed for my sake, the feel of his arms around me and the lack of distance between us brought back so many memories of that night and it sparked a flame in my heart. Before I knew it, I was already thrashing around—punching and kicking—trying my hardest to break free from his grasp. Only, as soon as I was about to deliver the final blow, he swung me around, catching me off balance, and in a blink of an eye, I was slammed back onto the bed, all the air inside me escaping out of my mouth as Hyuuga landed none-too-gently on top of me.

_Damn_. _My shoulder._

I let out an angry hiss and opened my eyes only to be met by a pair of livid crimson irises. His breath was hot on my cheeks and his grip on my wrist was tight. He was too close, _so close_ that I could almost see myself clearly reflected in his eyes. It was a compromising position, I realized, but as much as I wanted to shout a bloody murder at him, I just couldn't find my voice.

"You-!" His jaw clenched against whatever bad words he was planning to call me. Sighing, he shifted and propped himself into a more comfortable position; his arms supporting his weight, and at the same time, forming a human cage around me. I arched my back and fumbled my legs up to gain leverage—to push him off—but he merely tangled his legs with mine. Still unable to speak, I glared at him; but he wasn't looking at me—he was looking at my neck—elongated by my position. I was about to tell him off when he suddenly redirected his gaze on my face and right then and there, I was frozen.

Despite myself, I couldn't stop the flash of fear that spread throughout my body.

* * *

_SeraphMia_

Oh, Mikan. Look at what you got yourself into.

Well, this was supposed to be longer but I decided cut it off because I'm the evil Queen of Cliffhangers and also because, sad to say, I'm starting to lose my muse. No, I haven't lost interest in this story. In fact, I'm very much hyped up about it. But it's just, well, to be precise, I'm starting to lose interest in the kind of writers and readers here in the fandom. It's appalling to think that most of the talented authors out here have stopped writing and it's even more appalling that the reason behind that is either the lack of support or the rampant plagiarism here in GAFFN. There are a lot of great stories out here and it just baffles me that stories with such depth would receive so little attention and more so, such superficial feedbacks. Yeah, it's that or they get plagiarized and thus, they decide to take down their stories. It's really disheartening.

I'm not leaving _yet_ so don't get jumpy over there. I'll observe how GAFFN progresses over the following months and well, only time can tell. I truly hope that my muse doesn't leave me. We're just getting to the turning point and it'll be sad if the rest of STS would remain unwritten. Anyway, pay attention to details, everyone. You never know, you might be missing something that's under your nose. And oh, in case you're wondering, the story is NOT set in Manhattan, okay? The hospital is located in Central (Sorta like GA's Central Town) and I used Fifth Avenue because that's the location of New York's Central Park (Again, an attempt of mine to associate GA's Central Town). I won't go into details so if you have clarifications and questions, review or PM me.

P.S. It seems that dedicating my chapters has become a trend now. But what the heck, I want to special mention these guys and so I'm gonna do just that. First of the list, **Trigunskitty**. . .because she's brilliant in French and I learned a lot from talking to her. Next comes **daa3fan **and **Orange Cat Thief**. . .because I love new readers and I love them even more when they review every chapter. Kisses. :D

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Apprehensions"_


	14. Apprehensions

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 14: "_Apprehensions_"-

_Was it so wrong to suddenly feel intimidated?_

I was cornered and I couldn't think. I couldn't move—couldn't even _breathe_—because _he_ was so close. I could feel his eyes on every inch of my face and despite my high fever, the warmth from his hands and body seemed to seep into mine. It was uncomfortable. _This_ was embarrassing. I was angry and scared and a whole lot of other things and yet, I couldn't bring myself to do a thing because I was too preoccupied in watching the whole masquerade ball flash before my very eyes.

. . .

. . .

. . . .

_. . . . .Geez, I can't believe it._

After all that work, all those dog days endured wearing turtlenecks and scarves, all those free periods and recesses spent on concealing the mark with make-up; in the end, he still found out. And who's to blame? **ME**_. _Clumsy _moi__. _Who would've thought that despite Hotaru's help, Luna's vow of silence, and Ruka's warning I'd still manage to single-handedly get myself into trouble? I mean, I was _almost_ on the clear. Almost_ there._ In just a day or two, the mark on my neck would have completely healed and with it, the link between me and _that girl_ would've been severed. But alas, I just had to trip right before I reached the finish line. I was careless. I got too consumed by the thought of finally forgetting about that night that I had completely ignored the possibility of getting caught at the last minute.

And now, he knows.

_Now he knows._

"Done picking fights with me?" The words made me look up. It wasn't a question, it was a threat—the iron grip on my wrists made certain I was aware of that. Hyuuga had the upper hand, and the fact irked me. "From your expression I can tell you're still not going to listen to a word I say." he muttered, exasperated. His eyes dropped to my lips, slid down to my neck where they lingered, and then went back to stare at my face. "Well, that's fine by me, I don't mind being like this all night."

My insides protested at the thought.

"Move." I hissed, tilting my head away from the moist heat that we were breathing against each other. He was heavy and I felt sticky and—_this_ is_ so _infuriating!

_How can he stand to press so close to me when I'm practically sweating buckets?_

"This is harassment." I bit out, glaring and trashing but Hyuuga just chuckled. "_What_. Is. _So_. Funny?"

"Just realized you're a girl, I guess."

_What is __**that**__ supposed to mean? _I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you insulting me?"

His lips curve upwards. "It's a compliment, actually."

"Liar. I don't believe you."

"Yeah, I figured." he mumbled, the low rumble of his voice vibrating to my chest and up my throat. "You were never one to agree with me."

I scoffed. "Well, you know what? I _don't_ agree with what you're doing right now. _Get_. _Off_." I gnashed my teeth when he shifted and settled all of his weight on me. "Damn it, Hyuuga. This isn't a joke. If you don't get off me within ten seconds, I'll scream so hard I swear your ears will bleed."

"Really now?" His smirk was cheeky as he brought his face closer to mine. "Well, I can think of several ways to shut you up."

My mouth went dry and blood drained from my face. The way he stared at my lips was just...

_Blush_.

...Stupid pervert.

I could very much handle the usual I-am-mightier-than-thou Hyuuga but if he goes Casanova on me, well, uhm, let's just say that anyone who has a drop of estrogen inside their body is bound to suffer a fatal hit and I am no exception. Hyuuga was _sinfully_ handsome, as Sumire often said. And let's face it, only a blind person would be immune to his charms. The _one_ flaw I could find on his face was his ridiculously short eyebrows and heck, even _that_ looked good on him. He was incredibly well-proportioned, too—long limbs, a tight muscular torso, well-sculpted biceps. . .and damn it, why does he have to smell so ni—_no, _shut up! _Don't_ think about _that! _

This _isn't_ the time to be admiring him.

"Hmm, admiring who?"

I groaned. Please tell me I didn't just say _that_ out loud.

There was a snicker. "You know, for an Alice scholar, you're not very bright."

I felt my cheeks grow hot from embarrassment. "You-! I can't...I really-!" I let out a frustrated whimper before turning my head to the side. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

He shook his head. "I don't get why you don't relish in my company. Most girls would kill to be _you_ right now."

I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. "Why not _go_ to one of _them_ then?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"They are too easy." he drawled out lazily and to my surprise, he released my wrists, rolled over and settled beside me.

Deep breaths escaped my lips and for the next second or two, I just laid still, the cold midnight breeze easing away the tension that had been created in my body. Then, my instincts acted out and I clumsily scrambled toward the farthest end of the bed.

Still lying on the mattress, Hyuuga regarded the distance between us with a snort. "See, that's what I'm talking about. You're the only one who has ever resisted me."

I opened my mouth to dish out a witty comeback but my train of thought got lost when I noticed the look he was giving me. I couldn't understand what it was, but I found myself holding my breath as I stared. My heart gave a little flutter, pumping a hefty amount of blood up my face. As crazy as it was, the way he looked at me made me feel spe—

"My mistake..." A slow smirk fell across his lips. "Actually, there's another girl." he muttered, breaking eye contact. There was a strange silence where my heart throbbed like crazy, but before I could make anything of it, Hyuuga turned his head, just a bit, and looked at me from the corner of one eye. "...She is a brunette. Just like you."

I felt myself freeze and my chest went cold once his words registered in my head. I was so taken aback by its implications that I literally did not do anything for an entire minute. I just..._froze_. I'm not even sure if I blinked. _A brunette,_ I mused,_ Could it be? Was he talking about the girl from the masked ball? _Now that I think about it, the mark is almost invisible now. He couldn't have seen _it_. Not with the heap of hair sticking on my neck. And especially not with the big attention-grabbing bruise on my shoulder. He couldn't have seen _didn't_ see the mark.

_. . .He doesn't know it's me._

My head swam and my heart throbbed vehemently at the thought.

I wanted to say something..._anything_ to confirm my suspicion but before I could fix my face and set him straight, Hyuuga took me by surprise. One second he was lying on my bed and the next, he was in front of me, invading my personal space yet again. He had placed his hand on my sweaty forehead (before I could even protest) and as bizarre as it sounded, I felt my headache dull and my heart slowed its pace. I think he was saying something about my fever but I wasn't really paying attention. I was more concerned with the possibility that he still didn't know that the brunette was me.

Because if that is the case—if he _doesn't_ know—then, everything that has happened thus far doesn't make any sense.

"Hyuuga...why are you doing this?"

He frowned. "Doing what?"

"_This_." I reached for his hand and gently removed it from my forehead, "Why are you still here? I don't understand. Why are you getting all..."_ worked up over me?_ I wanted to ask, but I bit my tongue and rearranged my thoughts, "There is no reason for you to be doing all these." I manage thickly, searching for his eyes, "...Or is there?"

He was silent and I pursed my lip, unable to gauge his reaction. I was about to drop the subject when I heard him sigh, "It's Ruka."

"I'm sorry...what?"

"Ruka. He asked me to stay with you."

"Oh," I found myself saying. I literally had to pry myself from the reverie I was falling into. It was strange but I was feeling bitter about this revelation. Hearing those words left an unsettling weight at the pit of my stomach. "When was this?"

His gaze was impassive. "Phone call. Earlier."

"I see." I fixed my eyes on the simply patterned bedspread, hair over my eyes as I avoided meeting Hyuuga's gaze. I wanted to say more, I really did, but the words were unable to escape my mouth. Because really now, what was I expecting? Of course, he was doing this for Ruka. It was stupid of me to think otherwise. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Hyuuga." Even without looking, I could tell that he shrugged off my apology. Silence dragged on and thoughtlessly, I raised my head. Hyuuga was looking so intently now that I felt my spine straighten and my eyes sharpen in attention. "W-W-What is it?"

"It's nothing." His hands closed over each of my shoulders. "...We need to get you out of these clothes."

"_What the hell?_" I swatted his hands away and wrapped myself with a blanket. "Are you out of your mind?" I said incredulously, only vaguely aware of the way my face began to heat. "What's wrong with you? I just apologized and you don't even acknowledge it. Instead, you tell me to..._God!_ I can't believe you!"

"You're drenched." he said simply, his voice holding no room for more explanation. "It'll be bad if you do—"

"I am _not_ going to undress." I cut him off, "You _can't_ make me."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is. I already changed your clothes earlier."

"You WHAT?" My eyes widened and I hurriedly looked under the covers to inspect myself, only to have my eyes widen even more. Gone were the faded jeans and the black tee that I wore to school this morning. And to my absolute horror, I was now wearing the yellow sundress that Mom sent me last summer. I fought off a scream.

_WHEN DID **THIS** HAPPEN?_

"You were practically bathing in your own sweat. I thought I was being considerate."

_Considerate, my ass._ "You were being a pervert."

There was a brief pause and then, I was caught off guard with the slow, sexy smirk that spread across his face. "There wasn't much to see anyway."

"WHY _YOU_ LITTLE—!" I threw him a pillow but he evaded it with ease. Damn him and his stupid cat-like reflexes. "You're the WORST! The enemy of EVERY woman! God, I feel stupid for believing for a second that you actually car—_HEY!_ Don't go turning your back when people are talking to you, you arrogant prick!" I launched another pillow. . .and missed again. "Could you like stay still for five seconds, I'm trying to hit y—_HYUUGA_! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IN MY CLOSET?"

"Your aim sucks." he muttered, glancing at the fallen pillows before tossing a pink shirtdress to my bed. "Now then, instead of blabbering like an idiot, can you to tell me where your meds are?" he paused, cocked his head in an afterthought. "Or would you rather I stay here and help you get dressed?"

I couldn't resist throwing the pervert another pillow which he didn't even have to evade this time. To be precise, he didn't even take notice of my attack because considering where it landed, it looked like I was targeting my closet instead. I let out a raw cry in frustration. I would've launched another attack if it wasn't for the fact that I was out of ammo.

He chuckled at my expense. "Is this your way of telling me to stay?"

God, I can't believe I'm doing this. "It's in Grandpa's room. Second door to the left. Our medicine kit is inside the top drawer of his bedside table. Don't you _dare_ touch anything else, got it?" When he didn't move, I snapped, "JUST GO ALREADY!"

With a triumphant smirk, Hyuuga strode away and walked out the door. I caught myself staring at the hallway for a good ten seconds (cursing his royal ass and all) before panic set in and for the next thirty seconds, I struggled to get out of my sweat-drenched sundress without hurting my shoulder. Thankfully, changing into the shirtdress was a lot easier. It was a button-through so I managed to put it on in record speed. Too bad buttoning up took ages though. I still had three buttons unfastened when Hyuuga stepped back into the room, a glass of water on one hand, a bottle of paracetamol on the other. He looked surprised at first—like he wasn't expecting me to _actually_ change or something—but his expression immediately turned into something I could only describe as irritating. He wasn't smirking but his eyes were blatantly dancing with amusement. He was..._the nerve!_

"Trying to seduce me, _Strawberries_?"

I let out a squawk of indignation before turning my back on him. "You stupid pervert, you peeked!" I whined, my fingers shaking with anger and uneasiness as I did up two more buttons of my dress. When I peered back, the glass and the medicine bottle were already set on my study desk. Hyuuga was on the floor, picking up a bowl, a wet towel, my fallen pillows and some soggy bo—"MY BOOKS! What happened to my books?"

"You hit _this—_" he pointed at the bowl "—earlier with your stubbornness." he answered, picking up **Princess Diaries **(_gasp_), **The Witch of Portobello **(_ohmygod_) and **Catching Fire **(_noooo! I'm not yet finished reading that_) in quick strides. I felt tears brimming in my eyes and I had to swallow repeatedly to keep myself from sobbing.

_My books..._

There was an exasperated sigh from Hyuuga. "Worry about your books tomorrow." he said, impatience ever so slightly tingeing his words. He dropped the pillows on my bed before handing me the water and pills. "Drink up."

I nodded, popped the pills in my mouth and drained the glass completely. I flopped back down and pulled the blanket over my head right afterwards.

_Yes_, I _was_ sulking. Please don't judge me.

"You're being childish." His voice pierced through my thoughts like a knife. "It's not like they're irreplaceable."

"Not everyone is as rich as you, Hyuuga." I whispered into my arms, hugging myself as tightly as I could. "I already did what you asked, so go away."

I heard the door shut close and for a moment, I thought Hyuuga finally listened and left. But I was a fool to even consider such a thing, because not long after, I felt the bed dip on my right.

"You are an idiot."

I gasped, whirling to him. "I am not!" I protested, my blanket pooling at waist. I screwed up my face. "Wait, why am I an idiot?"

"Because I said so." he said, one hand propping me back to bed. "Lie down, stupid."

"Stop calling me stupid."

Hyuuga chuckled and almost tenderly, he brushed a stray strand away from my face. My breath hitched and I blushed and he—"Stupid."

"You - are...I can't–!"I groaned, _he always makes me feel like an idiot. _"I hate you." I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head once to be told, I was starting to get drowsy (must be the drugs) and sleeping does seem to be better than talking to Hyuuga; but, I wasn't about to sleep with a guy on my bed.

"You're not planning on sleeping beside me, are you?" I asked, sticking half of my head out of the covers.

He smirked. "Don't worry, I have the decency to not sleep with sick people."

"I am _not_ sick."

"Yes, you are."

"I am not _that_ sick."

"_Yes_, you are."

"No, I'm not." I interjected calmly, even though I felt like steam was coming out of my ears. "It's my body, Hyuuga. I get to say whether I'm sick or not."

"...So, you're not sick?"

I rolled my eyes at his query. "Not sick. I just drank those stupid pills to shut you up."

"Is that so?" he mumbled, his eyes alight with amusement. "I guess it'd be okay to _sleep_ with you then."

My jaw dropped and I knew that my eyes were as round as plates. How was I supposed to react to that? Apart from the shock pulsing through my veins and the lightheadedness that came with his innuendo, I didn't even know what to feel. I don't re—

"...Still gonna insist that you're not sick?"

Damn it, that stumped me.

"F-F-Fine! _Fine._ I _am_ sick. There, I said it. Happy now?"

His reply was a patented Hyuuga smirk.

"You know what? One of these days I swear I'm going to permanently rearrange your face so you won't be able to smirk at me."

"Yeah, and while you're at it, I'm going to rearrange _your_ face—" he poked his index finger at the crease between my eyebrows "—so you would never be able to glare at me ever again."

Tch. Smartass.

"Go to sleep, idiot." he muttered after making himself comfortable on the floor, his back leaning against the side of the bed.

"Are you sleeping. . ._there_?"

I waited for him to make a move or to slip in another innuendo (something like "Are you offering your bed?") but he merely gazed at my face and with a tired almost-smile on his lips, he slowly closed his eyes. "Try not to snore."

I gasped, "I do not! Take that back."

There was no response. _He couldn't have fallen asleep that fast, right?_

"Hyuuga?"

Still no response.

"Are you asleep?"

None.

"Natsu—"

"I'm sleeping."

I resisted the urge to laugh. "Never pegged you for a sleep-talker."

"Hn."

I yawned, darkness was chasing after me and sleep was on its way. "You can take the couch, you know."

"It's alright. I'm used to sleeping like this."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He didn't answer for a long time and I could feel my eyelids drooping to a close. I was already half asleep when I heard Natsume whisper; his words didn't register but I could've sworn he mentioned a girl's name. I think he said. . ._Aoi_.

* * *

_SeraphMia_

And so I'm back to thicken the plot! :D

Ho-ho. Do I smell romance (and a lot of other things) brewing? ;)

Oh well, I've got to say that I like writing this chapter. A feverish Mikan's POV is quite tricky to make but I definitely had fun writing about her mood swings and her occasional slip of tongue. I also got sick not so long ago and that helped with some parts here.

So, I bet you're wondering whether or not Natsume knows, huh. Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn't. Haha. I won't spoil. You're free to speculate though. I am bound to respond if you guessed it right. :)

Just a note, Mikan owns a queen-size bed because she and her mom used to sleep in the same room. Sorry, I didn't get the chance to mention that in the chapters. Also, titles used in this story are rightfully owned by their respective authors: _Princess Diaries _by_ Meg Cabot, The Witch of Portobello _by_ Paulo Coelho, _and _Catching Fire _by_ Suzanne Collins._ They're all good books, grab a copy if you fancy.

Oh! I almost forgot, my Facebook link is in my profile. Add me? :D

Reviews? The next two chapters are in my hard drive. They're still incomplete but the dialogue and flow are already there so expect a fast update. ;)

* * *

Next on **Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**:

"_Attentions"_


	15. Attentions

**Şεd****ưc****ΐηg tђε Şεd****ư****cεr**

- Chapter 15: "_Attentions_"-

_Eyes. . ._

_Whispers..._

_Eyes. . ._

Eyes _and_ whispers everywhere I go. Everyone has been staring; half of them wondering, half of them glaring at me. What did I do to deserve such treatment, you ask? Well, it seems I got myself into **A Series of Unfortunate Events**. My misfortune started yesterday, I think. I woke up late, got sick, and ended up fainting in the library. (Un)fortunately, help came in the form of the most unlikely person—Natsume Hyuuga. He brought me to Central Hospital, drove me home, and under circumstances, I decided to invite him in. And there, he took ca. . .uhm, yeah, I'd rather not talk about that part. Just know that the night was long and tiresome but when I awoke, I wasn't ill anymore. In the spirit of hospitality, as well as gratitude, I made Hyuuga some breakfast: pancakes, toast, bacons and eggs. He insisted on driving me to school after that and I agreed seeing that it was convenient for both of us. I never thought that any of these would pose a problem; that is, until I stepped out of his car.

_How could I not foresee that having __the__ Natsume Hyuuga drive __a__ Mikan Sakura to school would elicit such uproar in Alice Academy?_

It was so obvious but I was too naïve, I forgot who he is. And now, I couldn't even walk to my locker in peace.

"Hotaru, I really think we should do something about this."

"You brought this upon yourself, Mikan."

I pouted and slapped her arm lightly. "Hey, it's not my fault that I fainted in the library."

"Actually, it is." Hotaru retorted, giving me a pointed look. She brushed off an imaginary dust from her arm (the one I just hit) before fiddling with the highly-futuristic security device installed in her locker. She caught me staring and gave me another pointed look.

Sighing, I looked away and focused on my very low-tech locker which was right next to hers. "I seriously don't see how all these became my fault."

Past the beeping and the robotic '**IDENTITY CONFIRMED. ALL ITEMS ARE SECURED, MS. IMAI.**_' _from her locker, I heard Hotaru scoff. "You're the one who insisted on getting three part-time jobs. You're the one who agreed on working overtime. You're the one who stayed up til God-knows-how-long reading books. You're the one who woke up late and forgot breakfast. You're the one who hit your shoulder on that bookcase." she acquired the textbooks for the morning session and stuffed them into her backpack, "You could've avoided half the trouble had you _listened_ to my advice and head straight home."

"Well, I could've still fainted on the road." I grumbled, my cheeks puffed as I twisted my locker combination.

"True. But at least, Hyuuga won't be the one who comes to your rescue."

I flinched, sighed, pulled my lock and hung it on its hook. "Hotaru, you really think I'm at fault?" I asked, hands cold and clammy as I pulled out the needed textbooks. I startled and almost dropped my Biology book when Hotaru's locker shut close. "You're angry at me, aren't you?"

Her gaze snapped to mine with raised eyebrows. "_Angry?_ No, Mikan. I am _not_ angry. I wouldn't be talking to you if I was." She paused and slung her bag over her arms. "As for your earlier question, however, I would like to ask: Were you _not_ the one who _asked_ him to drive you home? Were you _not_ the one who _invited_ him in?"

Feeling the flush crawl up my neck, I turned away and frantically rummaged my locker for...anything. I just needed something to hold on to.

"Well?"

"T-T-That was...well - I had no choice! It was raining so hard and he was soaking wet, I couldn't possibly let h—" Wait, why was I explaining myself? Clearing my throat, I looked away and pushed my locker shut. _She didn't need to know,_ I thought forcedly. _Not yet._ If I could help it, she would never have to know my reasons because I would not tell her. Or anyone, for that matter. Hotaru shook her head and started walking away. I bit my lip and sprinted to her side. "If I - If I admit that it's...my fault, will you help me?"

Arms crossed tightly with books against her chest, she turned her head and stared me down like a hawk. "Admitting that you're at fault means taking responsibility for it." she told me, violet eyes daring me to say otherwise. When I didn't speak, she quickened her pace and despite my requests, she didn't slow down.

"I can't figure this out alone, Hotaru." I told her once we reached the front of our room.

"Like I said," Hotaru muttered, her hand reaching for the doorknob, "You brought this upon yourself, Mikan." She turned the knob and opened the door only to glare at the class. I looked at her oddly, wondering what could've captured her attention like that. She had been reprimanding me since the end of first period but not once had she glared at me. Despite the foreboding sense of doom, I pushed Hotaru and eased ourselves into the room. Hotaru was able to get to her seat without any trouble but, me? Sumire Shouda blocked my path.

"Good morning, Sakura."

Her voice was too casual. A harmless greeting it may seem but I knew the words were sugarcoated. I could sense animosity rolling off her like sweat, adding up to the already-heavy tension in the room. I was frightened, I admit, but I tried my best to greet her back with a smile.

"Good mor—"

* * *

"God! I can't believe Sumire slapped you." Anna muttered as she peeled the adhesive off a pink band-aid. She gave me a sympathetic look before applying it to my cheek and smoothing out any air bubbles that had formed with gentle fingers.

Behind me, I heard Nonoko sigh. "I can't believe Hotaru either." she said as she braided my hair, "She could've at least done something to stop her."

I pursed my lip, remembering how Hotaru sat this one out. I knew she didn't like what was happening—I saw her glaring at Sumire—but still, she didn't move an inch from her chair. It was Anna and Nonoko who rushed in to help. I was planning to speak with Hotaru but I didn't get the chance to do so, she took off as soon as the bell rang. I was expecting to see her at lunch but when I came to the cafeteria, Nonoko and Anna were the only ones waiting at our table. Clearly, Hotaru wanted no part of this mess. And I guess _this_ was what she meant by _taking responsibility_ for my actions. I have no doubt that the rumors have reached Sumire's ears and that's what made her slap me.

"Here, Mikan." Anna passed me her box of rainbow muffins. I thanked her and grabbed the biggest of them all. Anna smiled back sweetly, "Even just a little, I hope my baking could cheer you up."

I gave her two thumbs up with a matching wide smile. "These rainbow muffins are delicious! You're the best baker in the whole world, Anna."

Nonoko was giggling as she took her seat beside me. "You flatter her too much, Mikan. Those muffins are not that great. It's scary, actually." she plucked an indigo piece from mine and stuffed it in her mouth, "I won't be surprised if we get food poisoned."

Anna huffed, "Hey! You're being mean, Nonoko."

Nonoko smiled (I knew she was just teasing) but she continued to ignored our pink-haired baker. "Don't worry, Mikan." she said, eyes full of mirth as she grabbed a rainbow muffin for herself, "If anything happens to you, come find me, okay? I'll make the antidote."

My mouth was full but I couldn't help but laugh along with Nonoko. She was trying to cheer me up, too. But Anna was pouting like a two-year-old now. _Aww, how cute. _

We were still laughing over Anna's colorful muffins when I felt an arm drape over my shoulder. I winced at the sharp pain and stiffened for a second but relaxed when I realized it wasn't who I thought it was.

"Yo, Mik! Heard Curly Curly Permy pulled a fast one on ya. How's yer face?"

"Kokoroyomi!" Anna and Nonoko chorused, "Get your hands off Mikan. She's off limits."

Thankfully, Koko listened and moved away. "Wow. Ya sure you two are not twins?" he muttered before attempting to grab two muffins. Anna and Nonoko slapped his hands away in a freaky simultaneity. Undettered, Koko took the one in my hand and gobbled it up in record speed. "So," he started, licking his fingers, "How's yer face?"

I resisted the urge to smack him. "My face is fine, thank you. Catwoman scratched it a bit but I'm still smiling, aren't I?"

"Hmm, that's good to hear." he moved to get another muffin but Anna pulled her box away. He shrugged and took a sit on the edge of the table. Nonoko tried pushing him off but Koko won't budge. "This won't take long, Super Twins. I'm just here to give some bad-bad news to Mik."

I frowned slightly. "If it's about this morning then I don't want to hear it."

"That so?" His voice was thoughtful, grey eyes amused. He jumped off the table and stood behind my chair. "Well, I'll tell ya anyway." he announced, putting his arm once again on my bruised shoulder. I was tempted to tell him about my injury but I bit my tongue. The last thing I'd want was more speculation. I'd probably die if anyone managed to link Hyuuga and my bruise. "Y'all ready to listen? You see, I got this from my man, Kitsuneme and—"

"Wait, Fox eyes?" Anna and Nonoko chorused once again.

Koko smiled a Cheshire grin. "The one and only."

Next thing I knew, Nonoko was already ushering Koko to sit beside me and Anna was offering him her box of rainbow muffins. "OOOOOOHH—! What did he say? What did he say? Do tell. Do tell."

I gave them a confused look. _Am I missing something?_

Koko looked smug as he wolfed down the remaining muffins. He still had yellow and green crumbs on his face when he started talking. "How should I phrase this? Hmm, let's see, well, the thing is. Truth to be told, Kitsuneme ain't sure about this himself and the other guys think it's sort of impossible so—"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop dilly-dallying, Koko."

"Oh! And here I was, convinced that ya ain't interested." Koko had an air of complacency as he spun the empty box on his forefinger, eyeing me in return. "Sure you want to hear this, Mik?" he asked, tossing the box in the air. I nodded and his face wiped clean of humor. I almost gaped at the abrupt change in attitude. "Mik, I may joke around," he started, "But trust me when I say, this ain't no shaggy-dog story." Lazily, he leaned back, his eyes solely trained on mine. "The guys, they. . .They think you're the new target. That Natsume's out to getcha."

I know that no one else heard it but for some reason I could feel half of the female population glaring at me. The temperature inside the cafeteria seemed to have increased drastically and I found myself breaking in cold sweats. Anna and Nonoko were the first ones who noticed how pale I've become. Their curiosity roused, they started bombarding me with questions.

"Look, just because Hyuuga happened to be there when I fain—" I stopped myself and mentally slapped myself for almost slipping. I groaned and massaged my temple. "This is ridiculous. I don't understand why everybody's making a big deal out of this."

"It's sort of a big deal, Mikan." Anna whispered, worry evident in her rose-colored eyes. "We're talking about a Hyuuga here. _A Hyuuga._"

Nonoko nodded, hesitant. "Having Natsume drive you to school is one thing. But walking you to class?" she shook her head and sighed, "That's overkill, Mikan."

"Woah, hold on, whoever said that he walked me to class? It just so happened that we're heading at the same direction. Just to clear things up, he wasn't carrying my bag or holding my hand or doing any of that stuff circulating around campus. Heck, we weren't even talking." This is bad. I'm getting all fired up, not to mention defensive as hell. "To me, it's more of a _he-happened-to-walk-beside-me-on-my-way-to-Jin-Jin's-math-class_."

"Riiight."

"I'm telling the truth. We weren't do—"

"Look here, Mik." Koko cut in, cupping my unmarred cheek and tilting my head to face him. "Natsume may not have carried your bag for ya, but he escorted you to class. Don-cha dare blame it on coincidence, because I was there, and I saw him stop by the door for five seconds. If that's not _walking-a-girl-to-class_ then I don't know what is." he paused for a moment, as if to let his words sink in. "As for not having a conversation, well, we all know Natsume's not a talker and you? Well, yer probably too busy wishing for the ground to open up and swallow ya that you can't even utter a word. Anyway, fact of the matter is, up until today, Natsume has never, and I emphasize, he has _never_ _ever_ done that for a girl. Mik, you're the first." he withdrew his hand and leaned back into his chair, "But you know what, that ain't the reason why everyone's panties are in a twist. That ain't the reason why Curly Curly Permy slapped you."

"So, what is it?" the twins asked in perfect unison.

Koko coughed out a laugh, probably at the eager look on their faces. "Well, apparently, Permy, being the president of the fan club and all, came up to Natsume and asked if he was pursuing—in her words, not mine—Miss Goody-goody Einsteinette of the Worm Club."

"Goody-goody?"

"Worm club?"

"Touché." _How original_. "So, what did he say?"

"Nothing. He didn't answer. Permy was _completely_ and _utterly_ ignored and I think that's why she slapped ya."

Anna tilted her head, a finger on her lip. "I don't get it."

"Me neither." Nonoko seconded, brows furrowed. "If Natsume didn't confirm it, then there's nothing to get worked up for, right?"

"ACK! You gals are hopeless." Koko flailed his arms and nearly fell off his chair. "Don't you see? Natsume could've glared, grunted or whatever but he opted not to do anything. He chose not to say anything. Everyone's going crazy because he _didn't_ deny it."

Anna covered a gasp with her hands, Nonoko froze, and I inwardly cursed.

Koko took in our reactions with a lopsided grin. "Hold your horses, m'ladies, it gets better. Coz according to yer Fox eyes, Natsume skipped his first period."

"But, that means. . ."

He shrugged. "We dunno what it means but...it makes walking Mik to class extra special, doesn't it? Did he seriously come early just to walk ya?"

I gulped.

I was fleeing the cafeteria the moment the school bell rang.

* * *

_Cherry blossoms. . ._

Mr. Noda didn't show up for history class and so here I am seeking refuge in the Northern Woods. I just couldn't stomach staying in that room. The glares and whispers I could take, but the confrontations? Not as much. Luna was keeping Sumire at bay—apparently, Permy was summoned by the principal and was asked to apologize, which she begrudgingly did—but that didn't mean that the rest of the fan girls would stay put. They didn't hit me like Sumire did but they flocked at me—asking questions, demanding answers, scrutinizing how I look, and throwing nasty comments here and there. It was like having hundreds of Lunas going after me, all at the same time. Anna and Nonoko tried to help but the two could only do so much. I felt suffocated and before I knew it, my feet had taken me to my favorite spot in the Northern Woods.

As always, the woods were quiet. Its silence was different from the library's but I still reveled in it. The sun was shining warmly in the spring sky and the tree's flourishing leaves filtered the daylight into amusing beams. The cherry blossoms—my favorite among the trees—were at their usual best, covered in pink flowers and throwing their petals and perfume into the air. The patterns of light and shadow casted by their flowers swirled around my vision. It was making me sleepy so I lay down the grass and closed my eyes. I don't know how long I've slept but my moment's peace was shattered when I heard footsteps. A shadow blocked the sunlight covering my face and I froze, wondering who it was.

"Hag."

I almost melted in relief at the small, familiar voice.

"Hag. Get up."

'_You-chan, do you have a knack of disturbing my siestas?' _was what I wanted to say but that would defeat the purpose of pretending to sleep. I rolled my eyes behind closed lids when I felt a finger poke my forehead. "You're too ugly to be playing Sleeping Beauty, you know."

Reluctantly, my lips tugged into a smile. I lazily opened my eyes to meet pale teal eyes framed with thick lashes. "Oh, it's just _You-chan_." I teased, feigning surprise. He scowled and punched my shoulder (_don't worry, it didn't hurt...much_), reprimanding me once again about calling him with that ridiculous nickname (_well, I find it cute_) before telling me to get up. I moved to cross my legs at the ankles but kept my supine position on the grass. His scowl deepened. I was just about to tease him some more and close my eyes, when I noticed a big red box behind him. "What's that you got there, little guy?"

You-chan went stiff for a second or two before he picked up the box. "For you."

I gave him a confused look._ Was he trying to cheer me up? _"It's not yet my birthday, kiddo. But thanks." I smiled, raising my hands to receive it. But surprise, surprise. The little daredevil dropped the box in a slapdash fashion. And god, it _was_ heavy. "WHAT THE HELL? Are you trying to get me killed, you twerp?"

"Stop exaggerating. It's not _that_ heavy." There was a hint of worry in his voice but I was too busy bolting up, catching my breath and nursing my stomach to really care. "I told you to get up, didn't I? That's what you get for being so stubborn."

I glared at You-chan and then at the offending red box on my lap. It was no bigger than a microwave. "What's inside?"

"Hell if I know." he grumbled, moving back to lean against the tree, hands behind his head. "It's not from me, hag."

"Not from you? Then why di—" I cut myself off and breathed in. Losing my patience with little Youichi will do me no good. "Okay then." I tried to search for a gift tag but found none. _Strange_. "Who gave this to you, delivery boy?"

"Doesn't matter."

"_You-chan._"

"I. Won't. Tell."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why not?"

He glared back. "Just open the damn box, Ugly."

"Geez, you're so pushy." I told him as I peeled off the gift wrapping paper. You-chan just stood there, waiting expectantly. I shot him a suspicious look. "Hey, this isn't one of those pranks, is it? If this thing blows up in my face, I swear I'm going to ki—"

"It's not." he cut in with an eye roll, "I don't know what's inside but I am certain this is no prank."

"Fine. I'll take your word for it." I sloppily tore off the lid and peered inside. I froze at what I saw and it took me everything to turn my widened eyes at Youichi. "...w-where is he?"

With the way his lips thinned, I knew I guessed right. He knew who I was referring but he wouldn't speak. A particularly strong breeze blew a shower of leaves off the branches above us as I stood and grabbed his wrist. Eyes determined, I asked again. "Youichi, _tell me_ where he is."

The distress flickering on his face almost made me back out. I knew I shouldn't be taking my frustrations out on him but right now I really didn't care. Only one person has tamed this little daredevil and that would be _him_. You-chan looks up to me as a big sister but, how could I forget, his respect and loyalty lies with _that guy_. I tightened my grip on his wrist, "Youichi. Tell me. _NOW!_"

"Why are you so mad?" he asked, covering his alarm behind a mask of indifference, "They're just books."

I shook my head and pulled him by the collar of his shirt. I didn't care if I was scaring my junior. To be precise, I didn't care about anything else right now. What's important is that I find _him_. Youichi was just a messenger and he delivered the message without knowing. He didn't understand the significance of the box's contents.

. . .The **Hunger Games** Trilogy set

. . .**Paulo Coelho** Collection set

. . .**Princess Diaries** Collection set

There's no mistaking it. This box was from _him_. But _no, no, no,_ those books weren't the reason why I am so _so_ agitated right now. It was the trinket, lying on top of the three sets that made me freeze when I opened the box.

_Mr. Bear was inside._

Hyuuga was playing me all along.

* * *

_SeraphMia_

Who's the Queen of Cliffhangers again? ;)

Anyway, as promised, here's another update for you guys. Keep the reviews coming! I know how much you're itching to read the next chapter right now but I haven't written anything for it yet so you'll have to do your best to motivate me to write, okay? Haha. Come on now, don't be shy. Look at the title of the next chapter, doesn't it make you wanna review?

This was the fastest chapter I've written thus far. Somehow it feels like wrote itself. A lot of the things I've written here are spontaneous but I really liked how this chapter turned out. Don't you just love the side characters? It can't always revolve around NxMxR, you know.

Anyway, go google a picture of the rainbow muffins. It's really nice. I tried baking some yesterday—it was a failed attempt though—but seriously, rainbow muffins looks so awesome. And, oh, have I mentioned that I follow the manga's color scheme? Don't be surprised about the color of the character's eyes, okay? I'm not following the anime so I thought I'd give you a heads up.

Btw, for those of you who doesn't remember. Mr. Bear is Mikan's trinket. Go back and read Chapter 10 and you'll figure out that it's her keychain. And where are her keys? Well, Natsume still has them. You get the picture.

**SHAMELESS PLUGGING**: Readers who like dark stories like me, try reading my other story: **Going Under. **It's a sort of experimental writing for me so it's a bit rough but if you fancy angst, blood and mystery, it may just be your cup of tea. :D

* * *

Next on **Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**:

"_Confrontations_"


	16. Confrontations

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 16: "_Confrontations_"-

"The team's out on a 15-minute break, sweetheart."

I jolted at the sound of that sugary sweet voice. _You have got to be kidding me..._

I spun around, shoulders tensing. Just as I've feared, Luna was there, sitting comfortably at the bleachers, blue eyes set on me. "Surprised to see me, Mikan?"

_Why, oh, why didn't I see this coming? _Luna was a cheerleader. She was the head cheerleader. With the regionals just around the corner, it should've been obvious that Luna would be here. It's almost an imperative for all cheerios to stay after class and practice. Was I really so engrossed with kicking Hyuuga's ass that I forgot? Stupid, _stupid_, stupid.

"Oh-ho, _that_ look. So, you _are_ surprised." she mused, seemingly happy. "Well, since you're here, we might as well talk ab—"

"I'd pass." I cut in. I already knew where this conversation was headed anyway. I turned and walked away but surprise, surprise, the queen decided to be the bitch that she was and the next thing I knew, a pom-pom suddenly hit the back of my head.

"Where do you think you're going?"

_Away from you_ was what I wanted to say, but I settled to kicking the offending ball of yellow strips before picking up my pace. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn't have done that, because a few steps later, I found her Royal Bitchiness blocking my path, obviously unhappy with me. "You _dare_ walk away from me?"

"_Yes_. Watch me." And here I go, pushing past my limits. This is going to be quite a show.

I made a move to get past the Queen but she managed to grab my arm, keeping me in place.

"Do _not_ test my patience, _Mikan Sakura_." she hissed, long manicured nails digging in my skin. "I have been so forgiving these past few days but you're _this_ _close—_" she pulled me for emphasis, "—to crossing the line."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "Look, Luna, I don't have time for your dramatics. I'm looking for Hyuuga, so if you'd excuse me, I—"

She scoffed. "Right. _Excuse_ _you_. Know your place, Sakura. Stop involving yourself with Natsume."

I resisted the urge to smack my forehead.

And it all boils down to _this._

Oh, I should've known.

"Natsume _this_, Natsume _that_. Use your brain for once, will you? I'm not the one who's involving myself with that jackass, he's the on—"

"Watch. Your. Tongue. Sweetheart." she cut in, her grip on my arm tightened to a point that it almost hurt. "I don't really care about what you think about me but I _won't_ let you badmouth a Hyuuga. Not in front of me."

Heh. "You don't get to order me around."

"Oh, but, sweetie, you don't get a choice. You _will_ listen to _me_." she said sharply, "High school is hierarchy, Mikan. And in case you're too dumb to notice, _I_ am sitting on _top_ of the chain. Alice Academy is _my_ turf. I give orders and you obey or else—"

"Or else what?!" I snapped, shaking my arm off her clutches. "Will you make my high school life a living hell?"

"How cliché. So like you and your bedtime books." Luna crooned, her voice taking on a dangerous prelude. "But no, you're fooling yourself if you think I'm as superficial as those bitchy stereotypes you read." She shot me the sweetest smile and not a second later, my braid was tugged with so much force that I almost got a whiplash. "Listen to me, you _commoner_. Cross me and you won't get a high school life. Cross me and I'll have your _pathetic_ scholarship revoked and your sorry ass kicked out of the Academy. Cross _me_ and you can rest assured that no school would _ever_ accept you."

It's a bluff. "You're bluffing."

"Really now? Well, try me, Sakura. I _dare_ you. Just _try_." A mischievous smile tugged her lips. "Do keep in mind that my family is one of the major benefactors of this school though. And like I said, Sakura, _just try_. I would _looove_ to know how _many_ scholars they'd drop if Papa _suddenly_ decides to cut off his donations."

A chill ran down my spine. Would she really go that far? To threaten me was one thing, but to involve the other scholars...I wanted to slap her. Badly.

"You are _sick_. Who gave you the _right_ to behave this way? Just who do you think you are?!" I said through gritted teeth. "You are not God, Luna."

"Maybe not, but look around you, Sakura. Everything happens the way _I_ want them to."

Just as the words left her mouth, I found myself suddenly doused in ice-cold water and amidst my shivering and confusion, Luna looked utterly pleased, smug even. She had that triumphant grin and I. . ._oh, god._ . .it was as if the world was crashing down on me.

"Feeling better?" a haughty, high-pitched voice inquired from behind me before an almost-empty water bottle was thrown at my feet—its remaining contents spilling over my sneakers. Turning my head, I realized that Sumire and another cheerleader (whose name I forgot) were right behind me. My ears were still ringing but I think I heard the other girl say something like "to cool your head off" but whatever she said was quickly drowned by Sumire's evil cackles.

"Oh, Wakako," Sumire mused, stifling her giggles. "How _thoughtful_ of you. And here I thought you poured that over because she reeks of poverty. Seriously, Luna, how could you stand talking to such trash?"

"Well, someone has to give Mikan a wake up call, right? The poor girl seemed to have deluded herself into thinking that she can actually go against a Koizumi."

"Then, just have her kicked out already. There's no use talking to garbage."

"Sumire's right!" Wakako chirped, "Kick her out, Luna. Do it for Natsume. He needs protection from the likes of her."

My voice cracked as I spoke, "P-Protection?"

"Oh _puh_-lease, don't play dumb. We _know_." Sumire sneered before linking her arm with Wakako's. The duo sported identical bitchy smiles. "You see, we already did a background check on you. You're the daughter of that shameless Yuka Azumi, correct? And well, let's just say we're just taking precautionary measures since you seem to take after your gold-digging mother."

My breath hitched. Sumire Shouda really knows no tact. This topic, it was something even Hotaru and Grandpa were careful not to touch. Breathing hard, I was dismayed to find angry tears rolling down my cheeks. _Damn it._

"Aww, crying already, worm?" Unconcealed laughter. A witch's cackle. She was enjoying this. "Well, I do sympathize. It's really _tragic_ that your ticket to the Yukihira fame and fortune died along with your father."

I heard a sharp intake of breath and the next thing I knew, my fist wiped out the patronizing leer on Sumire's face. Permhead fell on her sorry ass and I could've sworn the Queen Bitch shrieked before rushing to nurse her fallen minion. My punch must have hit her square in the kisser because her lipstick was smudged and she was actually bleeding. Ah well, I honestly don't give a damn right now. I've taken enough shit today. Enough is enough.

"Mock me all you want but don't you ever insult my parents." I hissed at the shell-shocked Sumire. "You don't know anything about my family. You don't know me. Don't go accusing me or my mother of being gold diggers when we both know that the social climber here is you."

Bull's eye. The gloves were off.

"**YOU BITCH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"**

Everything was a blur after that. One moment Sumire's claws were on my hair and the next moment, I was tackled to the ground—scratched, slapped repetitively and verbally assaulted. Yes, I fought back but I could only do so little with an injured shoulder. It didn't help that Permy seemed to have noticed this and decided to strain on my handicap. I tried to endure it for as long as I can but when she started grinding her elbow at my shoulder, at that point, it became impossible not to scream my head off. So I screamed and I trashed and I cursed at her to get off and I was surprised when she miraculously did just that. I was still a bit dizzy when I sat up but I immediately recognized the two guys—Koko and Tsubasa—who kept the panting Sumire at bay.

I was still trying to get my bearings when a varsity jacket was placed over my shoulders. Instinctively, I peered behind me, and it was then that I understood why Sumire suddenly looked so mortified.

I was almost afraid to acknowledge it. "Hyuuga..."

"Come on, Strawberries, on your feet." he murmured, taking my elbow and pulling me upright. A whimper escaped my lips and that seemed to have reminded him of my shoulder. He cursed and adjusted his hold before diverting his eyes to the three cheerios, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

"I- I...Natsume, I'm the victim here! _That bitch_ started it. She punched me. I was just talking to her and she freakin' _punched_ me!" Sumire whined, crocodile tears easily falling down her cheeks. "I just defended myself. I did nothing wrong, I swear!"

One of the boys—the bald guy—snorted. "I'm betting you bullied her. Look at the poor thing, she's drenched."

Permy's face paled then flushed. "I...but that-...It wasn't me! That was Wakako's doing!"

"_What_?!" Wakako screeched, her eyes darting back and forth from me to the boys. Shaking, she pointed a finger at Sumire. "You're the one who told me to do it!"

"I did not!"

"Are you calling me a liar?!"

_Oh god. _Someone_, please,_ shut them up.

"Come on, Natsume, say something, man." hollered some guy from the sidelines. I was about to shoot him a glare (_He's gonna make it worse, you idiot!_) when a strong hand grabbed hold of my head and an arm encircled my waist. My body was pulled flush against Natsume's and traitorous little sparks coursed through my skin.

"Hyuuga, what on earth do you th—"

"Thanks_..._" I heard him say, lips brushing into my hair as he spoke. "I happen to prefer my girl wet."

There were gasps and I instantly stiffened. _His girl?_

I chanced a sideward glance at his number one fan girl, expecting to see her enraged about this, but instead, what I greeted me was a beet red and seemingly scandalized perm-head. Other than the fact that Hyuuga labeled me as his girl, I really don't understand what's there to be offended about. It was obvious that he was just fooling around and if anything, the one who should be scandalized here was me. Not Sumire. Or what's-her-name, for that matter.

From behind me, I heard someone whistle. I instinctively peered back and was surprised to find his team mates eyeing me with wolfish grins. Koko was giving me the I-knew-it look. Tsubasa was laughing his ass off. I avoided all their gazes all together. _Was I missing something here?_

"Well, well, well, isn't this a surprise. I take it the rumors are true then."

At Luna's sudden comment, I tried to pull away but Hyuuga made it clear that he wasn't going to let me go. He withdrew his arms, yes, but only to capture my hand in his. Two pairs of eyes—blue and green—narrowed simultaneously at the sight.

"This is interesting. I don't recall ever seeing you hold hands with a girl before." Luna mused, trying to sound sweet and not annoyed, which I knew she was. "Natsume, darling, please enlighten me. What is your plan? Have you gotten bored of your usual game that you now decided to play with someone like her? Personally, I think you're ju—"

"The thing is, I don't care what _you_ think." Hyuuga interjected, tone biting and cold. He tugged on my hand and before I realized, we were already walking away from the bleachers.

"Well, it's a great idea. I approve!" Luna hollered from behind us. "You do your part in ruining her life and I'll do mine."

That made us stop on our tracks.

"Koizumi."

"Yes, Natsume?"

"Touch a sliver of her hair and you're dead."

Save for the brief passing of surprise, Luna remained unperturbed. The threat meant nothing to her. She was not afraid of him. Three quick strides and she was over to where we stood; blue eyes fixed on crimson as she reached for my face. Hyuuga caught her wrist before anything could happen.

"Don't push your luck."

"Oh, alright. I'll stop. No need to get grumpy, _Na_ – _tsu_ – _me_." Luna sing-songed, giggling as she stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I'll try to _behave_ but only because you asked." She patted his shoulder, shot me one last look, and just like that, she skipped to where the cheering squad was assembling, her followers in tow.

And I guess I was too busy trying to wrap my head around what just happened that I didn't even mind when Hyuuga started to haul me away. It wasn't until the fresh air hit my face that the full implications of what I'd done struck me and I..._what was I thinking?_ I'm going to lose my scholarship. Or worse, I'll get expelled and—

"Shit." I felt my knees buckle underneath me. I stopped walking. "_Shit_. I have to...I have to go back. Do something. Grovel. _Whatever_. I need to—"

"You _need_ to stay with me."

"Huh? What?" I took a deep, shaky, steadying breath, resolving that I wouldn't burst into tears. I wouldn't. Not if front of Hyu—_hold on..._ "What are _you_ doing? Let go of me, you jerk."

His eyebrows rose but that was it. He said nothing as he dragged me to his car, ignoring my attempts to disarm myself from his iron grip. Soon enough, I was cornered into the passenger seat. But stubborn as I was, I yanked open the car door (the moment the jerk made his way over the driver's seat) and stepped out. Unfortunately, he managed to pull me back before I could dash off.

His voice was casual. "You do realize that I just saved your ass, right?"

"Yes, but let's not forget that you're also the one who put me in this mess." I lashed out, exasperated. "Can't we just go back to when we're ignoring each other?"

He smirked. "You hate me that much?"

I exhaled heavily, "I happen to prefer my life without added complexities, thank you very much. I was doing fine before _you_ came along but look at me now." I spotted my reflection on the rear-view mirror and groaned at how pathetic I looked. "If I get kicked out of school, I swear, Hyuuga, I'll become a delinquent and I'll hunt you down."

Did I just hear him _chuckle_?

"I'm being serious here. You've won the game already. You figured out that I'm your mystery girl. Did I disappoint you? I bet I did, didn't I? Can't we just call it quits and move on?" I sighed, turning my head to glare at curious busybodies outside. "See _there_? You make things complicated for me. Stop acting like my knight in shining armor, I'm no damsel in distress. I didn't ask for your help and truthfully, you're just making things worse. I won't be won over by the books, by your charm or your random acts of kindness so stop wasting your time. I don't like you and you don't like m—_WOAH!"_

I felt the engine start and startled, I accidentally turned to face him.

He was closer than I expected, his face just inches from mine. My heart stopped and I found myself hurriedly turning my head, but he caught my chin.

The familiar light in his eyes set off the warning bells in my head even before he spoke.

"Shut up and be mine already."

"What did you just say?"

"Be mine, _Mikan."_

I felt my face go aflame, and I looked away, silently cursing Natsume for suddenly calling my name and chiding my heart for beating so hard.

_This is a joke._ A ridiculous _prank_. He can't be serious..._right?_ He can't _possibly_ like me.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" he drawled, thumb brushing on my lips, red eyes clashing with mine. I felt my heart jump to my throat when a sexy smirk spread across his face. "Should I convince you?"

_Oh my god. _

"S-Stop." I stuttered, my right hand pushing his chest away while the other reached behind and pulled on the door handle.

His eyes softened and a half smile replaced his smirk. I couldn't help but watch him in awe. Hyuuga was just… something else, "What are you scared of?"

_Damn it_.

It felt like a shameful retreat as I backed out of his car. Just an hour ago, I was rushing to find him but now, I'm running away. The Gods of Irony must be laughing right now. I'm so pathetic.

Indeed, what am I scared of?

* * *

_SweetcharisMia_

New pen name, yes. I've been stalked by someone from the real world so there. This is still SeraphMia though. And, uhm, don't kill me? Honestly, just rejoice that I was even able to update this because I was planning to leave FFN for good. I'm a med student now, for those who were wondering. And, well, that basically explains my dwindling existence here in FFN. I think that's a valid excuse but I still want to apologize because a lot of you seem to be so eager into reading on and I sorta feel like I've let you down. -_-

Anyhow, I don't know what'll happen. It's my sem break now and hopefully, I'd still be able to write for GAFFN but well, you never know what the future holds. If anyone wants to take over, PM me. I'm now considering letting someone capable continue this story for me. Or co-authoring.

Now, how about a review for old time's sake? ^^


	17. Speculations

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 17: "_Speculations_"-

One of the perks of having Hotaru Imai as your best friend is that you have the _privilege_ come to her, be stupid, and I guarantee you that she will set you back on track. She is not one who would tolerate a friend when they're in the wrong; nor is she someone who would lie to make you feel better. Her words may come off as harsh but at the end of the day, you will realize how lucky you are to have someone who could help you make sense of all the craziness you're going through.

And that's precisely why I am with Hotaru right now.

I needed my best friend to chastise me for being so _so_ stupid as to confront the Queen Bee of Alice Academy. I rushed to Hotaru because I wanted her to scold for losing my temper with Permhead and for letting myself be rescued (once again) by Hyuuga. But most of all, I'm here because I was freaking out and I was afraid I might jump headfirst into another wrong decision if Hotaru wasn't there to calm me down.

Surprisingly, Hotaru did not give me a long lecture. Instead, she called Grandpa and asked permission if I could sleepover at her house for the night. At first, I didn't understand why Hotaru went through all that trouble but then I realized that I would definitely trigger Grandpa's hypertension if he saw me in this condition. So here I am, crashing at the Imai's. Hotaru insisted I take a bath before anything else so I did—and let me tell you, the smell of lavender was _really_ relaxing. By the time I was done, a new set of clothes has already been laid out on the bed and without skipping a beat, Hotaru called Amanatsu to help me change and nurse my wounds. I smiled at that. She was being kind...in her own way. She even offered to buy me Howalon and that almost made me forget about the problem at hand. But like I said, _almost_. Hyuuga's words kept running through my head and Luna's threat popped up every now and then. It was frustrating and it seemed like the rush of adrenaline was driving my brain into delving through my memories in search for answers.

"Stop doing that."

I blinked. Hotaru was talking to me.

"Sorry. Doing what?"

"Speculating." she deadpanned, "You'll short-circuit your brain."

I rolled my eyes before sneaking a peek at Amanatsu. She was almost done bandaging my shoulder and I guess I should've just waited for a few more minutes but I just couldn't keep my thoughts to myself anymore. "I want to know when and how he figured me out." I said, confident that Hotaru knew who I was talking about. I gave her a weary smile. "Help me think?"

For a moment Hotaru just stared at me but then she sighed and dismissed Amanatsu with a wave of her hand. "I have a few theories but you know how much I hate assuming so," she settled on the chair beside the bed, "Are you capable of answering a few questions?"

I smiled at her expression. "Go shoot, Sherlock."

"First thing's first. Are you sure he didn't see your hickey?"

"Positive. The only time he could've inspected my neck was when he looked after me and—"

Hotaru cut me short with another question. "How clear is your recollection about that night?"

"I was running a fever but I do remember most of it. Anyway, I don't think he saw the mark. My bruise does a pretty good job of masking what's left of it."

"Did he open your closet?"

I blushed, "What does that have to do with—"

"Just answer the question, Mikan."

"Yes, he did." I huffed, indignant. "I needed a change of clothes and I wasn't able to...stand up in my condition."

"Where did you keep the dress?"

I looked at her confusedly before realization dawned. Oh. "So that's why you're asking." I let out a hearty laugh, "I'm not stupid, Hotaru. I kept the Valentino in the garment bag and I hid it in the farthest end of my closet."

"_Great_."

"What's with the sarcasm?"

She sighed, obviously frustrated. "You don't understand, do you?"

"Well, help me understand!"

"_That_ was too _obvious_, dummy." Hotaru replied, annoyance marring her tone. "Nogi already warned you that you're under suspicion. What makes you think that Hyuuga won't be snooping around for clues?"

"But he didn't ransack my closet, I swear!" I said defensively, feeling my face contort into a panicked expression. I needed to stay calm. "I had my eyes on him the whole time. He couldn't have seen it."

"Are you sure that's the only time he went through your closet?" she asked dryly and I couldn't answer. "Right. I didn't think so."

Calm down, Mikan. Stay calm. _Calm_. "That's just one theory, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Hotaru muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Tell me, who changed your clothes?"

"I did."

"Liar." Hotaru deadpanned, quick and clipped. "Do you still bring his keys every day?"

My nod came just as fast. "Always in my pocket."

"Did he _change_ your _clothes_ that night?"

"You already asked me that." I reminded, desperately fighting off the blush that was creeping up my neck. Hotaru continued to look at me with her unrelenting violent eyes and then, realization cut through me like a knife and blood rushed away my face. "Crap, he couldn't have—"

"Either he did not notice them or he's giving them to you as a keepsake." she supplied monotonously, ignoring the dread that etched across my face. "So...Nogi's dinner jacket. Where did you hide it?"

I gasped. I'm such an idiot.

"Let me guess. You hung it somewhere you could easily view every day because it reminds you of how gallant Prince Charming is, correct?"

I whimpered and gave her a nod.

"Oh, Mikan." Hotaru pressed a finger to her temple and cursed under her breath. Her thin lips pursed into a line, her brows furrowed, and I could tell she was thinking. "What was Hyuuga's reason for looking after you again?"

"Uhm, the call." I mumbled, "I remember he mentioned that Ruka asked him to."

"We'll verify that later. Now, can you think of any reason for Hyuuga to be in the library?"

I shook my head.

"Can you think of any reason for Nogi to be in the library?"

I frowned, mulling over for an explanation. "Oh! The library could be their meeting place, Hotaru."

"Good, at least your brain's still functioning." she muttered, a small smile gracing her lips for a second or two. "Last question, Mikan. At the party, did Ruka do anything to implicate you?"

"What?! Of course not! If anything, Ruka stood up for me."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes. "Did they fight?"

"Well, I wouldn't really say that they were _fighting_ but it was weird." I slumped on the bed and closed my eyes, trying my best to recall the night. "The two of them going on about borrowing and handing me over and...I don't know, Hotaru, the way they were talking to each other was just _weird_."

I was waiting for Hotaru to say something but the room was quiet. At first, I thought she was just contemplating but when I looked, she already had a phone on her ear. Something inside me didn't want to know, but I asked anyway, "Who are you calling?"

"Who else? I'm calling Prince Obvious."

* * *

It has been 15 minutes since the doorbell rang. It has been 15 minutes since Amanatsu led me here in the adjacent study room and my resolve was running thin. I hate eavesdropping. I really do. It was wrong and there's about 99% chance that you end up hearing things you're not supposed to. So, yes, there's really no excuse for what I'm about to do right now except that technically, I wouldn't be eavesdropping since Hotaru gave me the option of listening.

...okay, so that doesn't justify it but—

Let's just...let's turn on this Communication Ear Mufflers.

"—**prised? Didn't you ask Hyuuga to look after her?"**

"_What?! No, I thought that grand-père (_grandfather_) Sakura was tending to her."_

Wait, huh? Natsume lied about that?! Ruka didn't ask him to, so why did he go through all that trouble? I don't get it. What's the point of lying about that?

"**How did you know she was sick?" **Hotaru's voice broke into my thoughts. **"Spill it, Nogi."**

"_I saw her falling. Natsume got to her first."_

A scoff. **"So you just let your best friend take her. How thoughtful of you."**

"_I didn't have my car with me and even if I did, I'm not familiar with the city." _A sigh. _"And I didn't let Natsume take her, I accompanied them to the hospital. That's where we were headed anyway. The only time I left Sakura was when Aoi—" _

There was a frustrated grumble and then,

"_Look, Imai, can we not talk about this?"_

"**Fine. Why pick the library for your meet-up?"**

"_What makes you think I picked the location?"_

"**Because Hyuuga would never choose that place. Don't waste my time, Nogi."**

A long pause.

"_Fine! I was hoping to bump into Sakura, okay? Stop looking at me like that."_

Heat rushed into my cheeks. This is one of the things I shouldn't be hearing. Maybe I should just turn this thing off before I hear something worse...

"**Mikan told me that you thought Natsume knew she was the mystery girl. I want to know why you said that." **

There was no answer.

"**Cooperate. You know what happens when you don't."**

Goodness, Hotaru _is_ scary. If I'm getting goose bumps with just her voice, then I could only imagine what Ruka must've looked like.

"**I'm waiting."**

"_The day after the masquerade, the boys threw a welcoming party for me."_

"**And these 'boys' include?"**

"_Natsume, Kitsu, Koko, and Mochu." _I could tell that Ruka was hesitant to answer. _"For most part, it was all catching up but then, Koko brought up the brunette from Luna's party. Apparently, they were playing their usual game—"_

"**What game?"**

"_It's a guy thing." _

"**I don't care. What were they playing?"**

A short pause. _"It's the game of who gets to leave with the hottest chick." _

What the hell? Guys actually do that...?

"_Based on their recount, Kitsu was the one who spotted Sakura. He tried to hit on her but she shot him down. Same thing happened with Mochu and Koko. Sakura was busy searching for you, it seems. And at that time, Natsume was looking for me."_ Ruka let out a sigh,_ "Unfortunately, he got sidetracked when the boys challenged him to the game and you know Natsume, he could never say no to a challenge. I think you know what happened next."_

"**You're off tangent, but yes, I know. Answer the question already. What made you think that Hyuuga knew?"**

Another sigh from Ruka. _"He was being awfully quiet about it. Natsume is the silent type but he usually gives a detail or two on how his game played out. This time, all we got were smirks. He only joined in the conversation when Mochu jokingly asked whether I was cool with Natsume stealing my girl."_

"**Are you?"**

"_Sakura isn't mine."_

Oh god. I can't do this anymore. I agreed to hide because I didn't want to show my battered self to Ruka but this kind of talk is just—

"Sa-Sakura?"

I blinked, surprised to find the door open, surprised to find my hand on its knob. Strange, I don't even recall getting out of the study room.

"Uhm, sorry." I slid the headphones to my neck, "I was eavesdropping."

A look of horror passed over Ruka's face and I immediately looked away. Stupid, _stupid_, stupid. Why did I say that? Why did I even come out? "I'm really sorry." I repeated with more sincerity this time. "I knew it was wrong but I had to listen."

Ruka suddenly strode towards my direction and I thought he was walking out but then I felt his gentle hands on my face. "You are bruised. What happened?"

I would've answered but I was too caught up by his blue eyes and the light brush of his fingers over my bruises that I couldn't even utter a syllable. There was also this slight pressure against my bottom lip and I didn't even realize I was biting it until Ruka's thumb gently tugged it away. "Sakura, are you okay?" he asked again, his voice soothing and mesmerizing.

"Nogi," The sudden intrusion shocked us both. Ruka quickly withdrew his hand and I rushed beside Hotaru. "I think it's about time you leave. Come on, Amanatsu will show you the way out."

"No." My voice was soft, "Ruka can stay."

Hotaru rolled her eyes and shot me a look that meant she thought I was being an idiot. "Are you sure you want him involved, Mikan?"

"Involved with what?" Ruka turned to face me and in a span of five seconds, his confusion morphed into disbelief. "This interrogation...Natsume finally made his move, hasn't he?"

"Congratulations, Nogi, you're finally catching on." Hotaru applauded monotonously, "Your best friend made his move. Now it's time to make ours."

I didn't like _that look_ on her face. "Hotaru, what are you planning?"

"Since he started it with a game, I figured we might as well end it with a game." she replied, a mischievous smile tugging her lips.

My heart paced. I have a bad feeling about this.

"Whatever you're thinking, Imai, it's not a good idea." Ruka warned, "Don't play with fire."

Hotaru shook her head. "You're forgetting something, Nogi." Her voice was cold as ice, "Hyuuga's not the only one here who likes a challenge."

* * *

_SweetcharisMia _

Hotaru's getting a bit carried away, don't you think? Anyone here who's brave enough to analyze what's going through her head...? Haha. Mikan paints a perfect picture of her friend but sometimes I wonder if she really gets Hotaru.

The next chapter would be the start of a new arc. I'll be the one to write it but do not expect it anytime soon. We're moving on to building the romance between our favorite pair so that needs careful planning.

I hope this chapter answered some of your questions. Sorry if it felt like a filler but I needed to get this out of the way before moving on to the next plot. ^^

Now then, when I say review, it means comment on the chapter, okay? Okay. Review~!


	18. Missions and Connections

**Şεdưcΐηg tђε Şεdưcεr**

- Chapter 18: "_Missions and Connections_"-

_Sunday, 12:21 AM, I can't sleep _T-T

_Dear Diary, _

_Did you know? Romance between an arrogant player and a feisty girl always unfold with bets, games, and other clichés. Trust me, I've read enough books of that genre to know what happens._

_Boy meets Girl. And because of some overused platitude, Boy pursues Girl who wants nothing to do with him. Boy follows Girl around. They glare. They flirt. They hate. Fed up with all the incessant courtship a.k.a badgering, Feisty Girl (with the advice of her trusted friend) decides to play the game. That's when the getting-to-know-you happens. Feisty Girl realizes that the arrogant player wasn't so bad after all. Eventually, Girl lowers her guard and cautiously allows Boy into her world. Then, you know how the story ends. Somewhere along the middle, the truth is revealed, heartbreak follows, and a few chapters later, they realize that they're truly in love, patch things up and get back together. Happily Ever After. THE END._

_Yup, they have it easy. So predictable. Unfortunately for me, real life is as indecisive and fickle as a pregnant woman._

_While I did catch the attention of Natsume Hyuuga, the girl he was interested in wasn't me per se. What he liked was the mystery surrounding the girl in a red dress and the challenge she presented at the night of the masquerade ball. I guess he was pretty used to having girls throw themselves at his feet, so now that he found someone who refused to do so even when subjected to his charms...well, I'm assuming his ego took quite a beating. Unfortunately for him, the "hottest chick" of that night is gone now. It doesn't matter that he found me and his mark because he will never settle the score. Like I said, the girl he was looking for isn't Mikan Sakura._

_Things should have ended right then and there but no, my story was a hell lot more complicated than what was written in pocket books. It would've been nice if the whole ordeal was just between him and me, but the problem was it wasn't. The masquerade ball was actually the Queen Bee's birthday bash and woe is me, my mask didn't succeed in keeping my identity a secret from her. In other words, Luna was aware of everything that had transpired and she was hell-bent on making me pay for trampling on her turf and stealing her spotlight. I know, I know. Every story needs an antagonist. And for my case, make that plural because I soon found myself dealing with half the student body of Alice Academy. Yeah, curse Hyuuga's popularity and his green-eyed fan club. I managed to survive for a week but then, life threw me some over-sized lemons and I ended up having Hyuuga as my knight in shining armor. . .twice. Basically, I'm now backed into a corner and hell, it was getting personal. Sumire "Permy" Shouda and the other fan girls dug into my history, Luna Koizumi threatened to get me expelled, and I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before the whole student body figure out that the mystery girl in last week's headlines was me. Hyuuga offered a way out but accepting his proposal would inevitably lead to another dead end._

_Oh, don't worry, Diary. Luckily, I have the ever-brilliant Hotaru Imai by my side. This whole thing started as a game anyway so we might as well end it with a game. And before you judge me for not having a backbone and just following whatever Hotaru came up with, let me just say that I did think it through and this was the only option left._

**"Accepting his offer _is_ the _only_ way out of your current predicament. The problem is what comes after that. How will you escape once you're his?" **

_Surprisingly, the answer was plain and simple._

* * *

"What are _you_ doing?"

Goodness. His tone made it seem like I'm the last person he'd want to be with. FYI, it's the other way around.

_Deep breaths, Mikan, you can do this._ "Can we talk?"

"Here?" Hyuuga raised a brow, eyeing the mop behind me with blatant disdain, "Seriously, can't you pick a better place?"

I crossed my arms and huffed, "Just bear with it for a while, your Highness. It's a small price to pay for privacy."

"Privacy, huh." He seemed vaguely amused, "Let's make this fast then. There's bound to be an uproar if anyone finds out that you pushed me into the janitor's closet."

_Oh god._ I felt blood rush to my cheeks when his smirk connected something inside my brain. "I...I'm-! That's stupid!" I cried out, flustered at the thought. "You're stupid! We're here to talk, you pervert! I'm not that type of girl and—"

I stopped abruptly. _Wait_. Was he. . .was he _laughing_ at me?

I have heard him laugh before but it was never _this_ close, never _so_ personal, and I guess my ears were just not used to hearing him sound so..._happy_. He sounded like a child. And I couldn't help but stare at his eyes—how they danced and brightened with every chuckle; or how he held his stomach, how he turned his head and covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I like your laugh." I whispered and with those words, his smile slowly died and his laughter faded.

_Idiot, how the hell could I just blurt out something like that?_

We were silent for a few moments before he spoke up again. "Talk."

"Right." I squeaked, pausing briefly to gather my words—my script, the role I had to play. "You said I needed to stay by your side." I began, my voice shaky despite practicing with Hotaru, "I...I thought about it and you're right: as it is, I won't be able to survive this school without you. But still, I—" I clutched on my chest—my heart felt like bursting—and I struggled to get the next words out, "I refuse to be yours."

Three long strides and he was standing right in front of me—_so close,_ I could literally feel the heat radiating off his body. "Hm, and why is that?" he asked and from the way his jaw hardened, I knew he took offense at my words.

"If I allow you to treat me like an object, then I'd just end up like your other girls." I said, trying my best not to shy away from his smoldering red eyes. "And I don't want that."

"Interesting." He was too close for comfort, his face just a few centimeters away, but I didn't dare step back. "What do you want then?"

My lips tipped into a smile. Everything's going according to plan. "Good question. Frankly, I'm not sure what I want. All I know is that _you_ got me in this mess so I might as well have _you_ get me out of it." I jabbed a finger at his chest, "If I have to put up with your arrogance every day, then so be it. Don't expect me to go down without a fight though."

"You sound like you don't want to do it."

"That's because I _really_ don't." I deadpanned, "_Nonetheless_, I'll give it a try," I held out a hand, "Natsume Hyuuga, let's be friends."

He stared at my hand, eyes suspicious, but then, he shrugged and took it, pushing away any reservations to the back of his head. "Friends, huh. You _sure_ that's what you want?"

"Right back at you," I replied, smiling wider when he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Are you sure _I'm_ what you want?"

* * *

_"So, how did it go?"_

"Better than expected." I mumbled, happily sprawled on my bed after a nice warm shower. "I'm actually more concerned with how everybody will react though."

_"I'll deal with damage control. At any rate, I doubt if anyone is stupid enough to question Hyuuga's decision. Just focus on the task at hand."_

"Right." I closed my eyes for a while before pressing the handset as close as I could against my ear. "Say, Hotaru, have you heard from Ruka?"

_"I haven't. Why? Do you want to talk to him?"_

"Not really." My stomach churned at the thought of seeing Ruka again. A part of me wanted to talk to him but I didn't know what to say anyway. Should I apologize? "Uhm, just tell me if he contacted you, alright? Good night, Hotaru."

_"Good night, Mikan. I'll see you at school."_

* * *

"Mikan! Is it true? Is it true?"

"You're really going out with Natsume Hyuuga?"

"_The_ Natsume Hyuuga?"

And here I was, thinking that I could enjoy my sandwich in peace. I should've known.

"Are you? Are you?"

I chewed slower and tried to think of a way out of this inevitable conversation but when I saw how eager the twins looked—chins propped on the table with both hands, eyes shining with zealous curiosity, their expectant smiles—long story short, escape was impossible. So, I swallowed and shrugged, "We're just friends."

"Seriously?" Anna chirped, crinkling her nose, "That's so _showbiz_! Spill, spill, spill!"

"_Shh!_"

"Oh, come on. Don't you trust us?" Ah, the _trust card_. I knew it was coming. "We'll keep your secret—"

"Anna, _shh!_"

"—cross our heart and hope to di- - -_OW!_" Anna pouted, rubbing the now-sore spot on her arm, "What did you do _that_ for?"

"Quiet!" Nonoko hushed, fingers ready to pinch again, "Natsume's heading this way."

"He's _what?_" Anna whipped her head to check if it was true. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" She was practically bouncing in her seat, "Mikan, Natsume's heading this way!"

"Yes, yes, I can see that." I muttered, narrowing my eyes at the approaching trouble. Oh, make that double, he had one of his jock friend with him. _Damn_, _talk about timing_. I plastered a smile on my face, "Hi there! What's up?"

Cue in the infamous smirk. "We have a game this afternoon."

I rolled my eyes, ignoring Nonoko's muffled squeal of delight and the pitchy _Aww, Mikan, he's inviting you to watch!_ from Anna. "I'll be rooting for the other team then," I muttered, taking a sound unlady-like slurp from my juice box.

"Mikan!"

_"What?"_

The twins sported identical mini-glares. _Scary_.

"I'm just joking," I took another bite at my sandwich and just let the twins apologize for my _indiscretion_. I sighed when Hyuuga and his bald friend made no move to leave. "I'll be there so you guys better win, okay? There, I said it. Happy?"

Hyuuga responded by childishly ruffling my hair. I pulled away from his hand and sent him an annoyed glare, which he took in with a smirk.

"The first goal is for you."

He then left with his stupid smirk and the rest of lunch was spent ignoring the twins' analysis of Natsume's gestures and the heat that was climbing up my cheeks.

* * *

"I can't believe it, mi'favorite gal actually came to watch me play." Koko was all smiles. He just scored the winning goal, after all. "So, how was I? I was the best, right? _Right?_"

"Yes, yes, you were amazing."

"Oh, shucks." His smile widened, "Now, you _have_ to gimme a hug. C'mere."

I shook my head with a hearty laugh, "No way, you stink. Go shower."

He gave me the puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

I scrunched up my nose. "Nah-ah."

"Hey, Koko, get your ass down here this instant." Tsubasa hollered from the field. He's their Team Captain, by the way, and damn, watching him play earlier was such a high. Yeah, he was _that_ good. He caught my eye and flashed a toothy grin, "And stop harassing Natsume's girl, he'll kill you."

Koko looked dejected. "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Hmm, speaking of which, "Where _is_ Natsume?"

"Hmm, looking for me?"

I think I might have jumped a little when I felt an arm drape around my shoulders. Then again, maybe the sudden jolt was brought about by his low drawl, or the ear-splitting squeals, or the obvious murder intent of the girls around me.

"No fair, Mik. Why does he get to hug ya?" Koko pouted, his arms wide open as if he's waiting for me to jump into his embrace. I glared and I guess Hyuuga shot him one of his own because Koko visibly paled and he was scurrying away not long after.

I sighed, "Geez, what do you want Hyuuga?"

He cocked at eyebrow at me, a smirk on his lips. "Do you really have to ask?"

"Um...yes?"

"Well," His smirk grew. "Don't I get a kiss for winning the game?"

"A kiss?" I almost spat the word. "Don't push you luck. We're _barely_ friends and friends _don't_ _kiss_."

He let out a low chuckle before settling to sit beside me. I tried my best not to squirm. I'm not exactly uncomfortable by our proximity but the attention that was directed at us was a bit disconcerting. See, how troublesome Mr. Popular is?

"Can I go now?" I asked. But instead of answering my question, his eyes caught sight of the book on my lap.

"You're reading my book."

I resisted the urge to scoff. "You know, just because you bought it doesn't make it yours." I mumbled, tracing Suzanne Collins' name on the cover. "Don't you have better things to do? Shouldn't you be down there celebrating victory with your team mates?"

Right on cue, the Alice Cheerleading Squad entered the field with their physics-defying backflips and somersaults. The crowd went wild as the music started, the sound almost deafening. I felt the ground pulse with the noise, causing me to laugh. I wasn't much for school spirit, but the fact that Alice Academy practically burst with it made me proud.

Oh, look, a pyramid! There goes Permhead, What's-her-name and as usual, we have the Queen Bitch on the very top. _Whoop-de-do!_

_Hmm, maybe I should make my escape while everyone's preoccupied watching the cheerios..._

"We'll have our victory party later." Hyuuga whispered, leaning closer to my ear, effectively distracting me from formulating a plan. "Come."

_...And here I was thinking I could finally leave._

"You're not giving me a choice, huh." I mumbled, sighing. "Fine. Just make sure you shield me from your deranged fans."

He smirked and mouthed an affirmative before moving his eyes to watch the cheerleaders on the field. Everyone was on their feet at this point—streamers and posters raised as high as their limbs allowed—so, it was a bit hard to see the routine. The students cheered along with cheerios and then, simultaneous screams filled my ears. I wasn't really bothered at first but when the crowd went silent, I knew something's wrong.

"What just happened?"

I saw how Hyuuga's lips press together in a firm line, noticed the slight crease between his brows, but I still pressed him for answers.

Eyes still on the field, he said, "Koizumi fell."

* * *

"Man, did you see that? Luna surely went down with a _BANG_." Kitsuneme recounted, complete with sound effects and big hands gestures. "The cheerios went like up like _woosh, woosh, woosh! _It was the perfect pyramid and then Luna went up like a firework and then _BAM!_ Down with a _SPLAT_."

"Think we should visit her?" The bald guy, Mochiage, mused as he popped a fry into his mouth.

"Nah, she'll live." Koko muttered, taking a huge bite out of his _pizza sandwich_ (It's a 2-layered pizza: pepperoni on top, hawaiian on the bottom. Um, don't ask). "I doubt if the Queen wants to see us anyway."

"Ugh, boys." Misaki, the only other girl in our booth, groaned out, shaking her head. "Shouldn't you at least show some concern? The poor girl's probably getting stitches right now."

"_Poor girl?_ Don't make me laugh, Misaki. She's _anything_ but poor."

"Yeah, she's probably bitching at Central Hospital as we speak."

"Oh, 'nuff 'bout that!" Koko waved his hand, along with his pizza, at Tsubasa, "Let's just celebrate! TO MY VICTORY!"

"To your victory!" I cheered, raising my glass. Truth be told, I'd rather indulge Koko than talk about Luna right now. You see, no matter how much I hate her, I just can't bring myself to laugh at someone else's suffering. It's not right.

Putting that aside, Hyuuga's teammates were pretty amicable. I guess I really shouldn't judge so fast. After all, I've been friends with Koko since elementary and he's obviously one of _them_. It's just I never really thought about befriending _other_ jocks. Heck, I won't even be here right now if it wasn't for Hyuuga and our little game. Speaking of which, his arm has been perched on the backrest of my chair for quite some time now. I turned to tell him off but he was busy talking to Tsubasa, so I guess he wasn't really aware that his fingers were threading in my hair. Anyway, I have free pizza and fries in front of me so I guess I'll shut up for the time being.

"Hey, man, you made it!"

I shifted my attention over to the newcomer and I nearly choked. _Crap, they invited Ruka? _I ducked down and pretended to search for something inside my bag._ He won't be joining our table, right? Oh, please, please God, please no._

"I'm sorry I missed your game."

I flinched when I heard the scraping of a chair—the only one left unoccupied, the one which happened to be in front of me. Reluctantly, I lifted my head and immediately, Ruka's blue eyes latched onto mine. His expression was strangely understanding. "It's nice to see you again, Sakura."

I opened my mouth to greet him back but the sound of Mochu choking got me distracted. "Wait a minute, did you just say _again_? Ruka here arrived two weeks ago. Does that mean that you've been seeing each other since...?" Baldy paused with an exaggerated gasp, "Natsume, heads up, Prince Charming here might steal your girl."

I growled, "I'm _not_ his girl!"

Baldy just waved me off.

"Oh, hey, I just remembered something!" Tsubasa announced, oblivious to the death glares I sent his way. "Ruka had a crush on Mikan back in sixth grade, right Misaki?"

"Hmm, rekindling old flames, I see."

"We're not!" I slammed my hands on the table, positively fuming, but they just laughed at how red I've become. Goodness. "Ruka, _s'il vous plaît dire quelque chose_." (Ruka, please say something.)

"Woah, that's French, isn't it?" Kitsuneme pointed out, his face perked up in interest as he focused his attention on me. "Say something else, say something else!"

The veins in my head popped at his flagrant enthusiasm. Fine, I'll humor him._ "Voulez-vouz avoir un œil poche? Viens par ici pour que je puisse te frapper!" _(You want a black eye? Come over here so I can punch you!)

"Amazing, amazing!" the fox-eyed idiot had the nerve to clap. "Hey, Ruka, what did she say?"

I groaned. "Can I punch him now?"

Ruka just laughed. "I think we should move on, guys"

"Then clear it up, Ruka." Hyuuga drawled, red eyes clashing with blue ones. I felt my heart jump to my throat when a smirk spread across his face. "You _did_ like her, right?"

The table grew relatively quiet and all eyes moved to Ruka, urging him to speak. Briefly, his blue eyes settled on my face, almost apologetic, and then, he turned to meet Hyuuga with a very uncharacteristic poker face.

_"Oui, et je l'aime encore_. _Est-ce que c'est problème?_" (Yes, and I still like her. Is that a problem?)

My eyes widened and my heart screeched to a stop. My lips parted, but I didn't know what to say so I closed my mouth. Ruka kept his eyes on Natsume; and everyone else was either confused or curious. I think no one really expected him to answer—no less in a language they don't understand. Koko and Kitsuneme pestered me to translate but I paid them no heed. Instead, I looked back at Hyuuga, only to find his gaze steadfast on his friend, his smirk nowhere in sight.

And the worst part is, it seemed like Hyuuga understood.

* * *

...It felt like the masquerade ball all over again.

* * *

_Sweetcharismia_

Advanced Merry Christmas, everyone!

Well, I hope this chapter is good enough to compel you to review. Haha. I'm not sure if the transition is fluid enough but I do hope it is. Oh, btw, since I can't decide between football and soccer, feel free to choose whichever suits the boys more, okay? I'm leaving a lot of inconsequential things to your imagination.

Hmm, what was that? You're curious about Hotaru's plan? Haha. Have fun guessing. ;)

Comments? Violent reactions? Squeals? Errors? Type them all in that box down there and I'll read them on Christmas eve. :D

Btw, I forgot to mention that Ruka's uncharacteristic assertiveness here is inspired from the latest chap of the GA manga.

_"Since the day I confessed to you, my feelings for you have not changed…I love you… Please do not choose Natsume anymore. Fall in love with me. I will not lose this time."_ - Ruka Nogi, Chapter 172, /3

Now then, let me just bury myself in the mountain of medical books I have to read. Til next time.


End file.
